Cursed: Beloved
by Tsuki the Wolf
Summary: Arthur, running away from a dark past, enters a new school in hopes of escaping his daemon. He doesn't want any friends. But Arthur soon finds himself seeking and receiving the friendship he craves along with a lover. But his daemon isn't done with him. And it wants Arthur all to itself even if it has to remove everyone else. Multiple pairings.
1. Prologue

**A/N: So this is a story I promised to do, like, two stories back. So here I am typing it. I finally figured out how to start this bitch. But right now is just the prologue. I'll be adding more chapters later. I'll also be working on my other two stories too, of course.  
This will get tragic.  
But there will be a happy ending…I think…**

**Warnings: Blood, graphic shit, maybe sex (probably not but I haven't decided), character death.**

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**Prologue**

_The world around him was dark. Cold seeped into his skin as the warmth that had lingered within the liquid coating his body and clothing cooled. Hot tears cut their way down his cheeks and mixed with the liquid already drying on them. He didn't want to acknowledge what that particular liquid was. The air was foul with silence and the stench of rotting. The process of rotting of the bodies –could they even be called bodies in the state that they were in? - had been sped up by his "companion"._

_Arthur opened his eyes and raised his head to gaze at the creature in front of him. It had no particular form that he knew of but he recalled that it'd had black hair…or fur…he wasn't sure. His only definite glimpse of the creature had been when he had summoned him. However even in the darkness of the pavilion of the playground he could see its glowing eyes. They illuminated nothing and so it appeared as if they hung suspended on an invisible cord. The number of eyes shifted as well as the type of pupil. First amphibian, then feline, but mostly human. No doubt it changed to match the nightmares of humanity. Arthur feared the human eyes the most._

"_Why?" He shakily whispered to it. More tears flowed and Arthur lifted his hands to reach for the vile creature. Under his fingernails he cringingly still felt flesh. His mouth tasted of iron and vomit. He spat but it felt futile. The taste remained. His hands touched the creature as it approached. It shifted into Arthur's worst fear as it became somewhat more visible. He flinched instinctively away from the leader of the bullies that had constantly attacked him and tortured him. However it wasn't Arthur's worst fear. But it was impossible to take on Arthur's greatest fear. Loneliness had too many forms to take on for one creature._

_The beast didn't speak. It couldn't. Rather, it didn't speak if it could. But it could communicate. It couldn't be explained how but somehow Arthur knew. The creature had done it for Arthur. Everything had been because of Arthur. A thought in Arthur's head supplied what a voice could not: "Because I love you."_

_The world twisted and turned. Arthur's vision darkened impossibly more and he collapsed, passing out._

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**A/N: So I think the theme song for this will be House of Wolves by My Chemical Romance.**

**Review! **


	2. The End

**A/N: Okay, I want to warn now there will be quite a bit of magickal things in here. And I'm not talking Aladdin. I'm talking about witchcraft. It's not going to be anything serious (I refuse to go into details because of reasons) but there will be mentions of such in here. If you're uncomfortable with it, I suggest you leave now.**

**Btw, there's no Satanism. Just putting that out there now.**

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**Chapter 1: The End**

Arthur's eyes snapped open and air roughly filled his lungs. His body was coated in a thin layer of cold sweat, causing his sleeping pants to attach themselves to his skin along with his night shirt. His hair was plastered in places to his skull. His stomach churned, threatening furiously to give up its contents. It was a good thing he hadn't eaten the night before.

Arthur sat up slowly so as to not further upset his stomach and gazed at his hands. He half expected to find them soaked with blood and a nail missing completely. But they were clean. He could see his pale skin was normal and uninjured. They were trembling wildly, however. He inhaled slowly and deeply, curling his fingers into fists and clenching them. He took the next five minutes to calm his racing heart, not daring to close his eyes and instead gazing dully at his trembling fists. After five minutes the movement calmed to a stop.

He threw back the cover of his bed and sat up to hang his feet over the side of his bed. His room was dull, he noted. The walls were white with dark brown wooden flooring. A dresser sat against the opposite wall on top of which had various candles of different sizes and shapes and colours. Arthur could name his specific witch's brew candles by colour along with the respective spells to activate them. Bottles sat on a homemade wooden shelf next to the dresser low enough for Arthur to easily reach but high enough so that his cat Elizabeth couldn't reach them. Inside of the bottles were many various herbs that Arthur could identify not only by sight but also by smell. A small closet off to his left at the back left-hand corner of his room contained his clothing that he needed to hang up as well as two stacks of books and a backpack. Arthur reminded himself again to get a bookshelf.

Arthur finished taking in his surroundings. He had half-expected to spot the daemon in his room although it had been seven years since he had last seen it. The back of his neck had hairs that stood up quickly as he narrowed his eyes. The daemon wasn't visually around but Arthur still sensed it. The connection was still there. But he couldn't focus on the feeling else it attracted the beast's attention. Even so he had to check. He had to make sure his spells on the creature still worked. He stood up and moved to his closet to dress in his new school uniform. He then moved to the mirror over his dresser and slipped on an earring of a dragon. The earring was more of a dragon going through the hole in his ear and around the shell of his ear to connect to the pierced part at the top to watch out for wear Arthur was going. He sighed, a feeling of relief and protection washing over him. It was a gift given to him by his grandmother before she had passed away and he had moved. Arthur knew there was a protection charm over it. His grandmother was truly the only one who had understood his feelings towards the Craft.

He grabbed his pendulum bag and pocketed it –she was still asleep and he didn't want to disturb her- and grabbed another small bag full of various other stones. _Smokey quartz for grounding, quartz for amplifying, kyanite for energy, and obsidian for protection…_ He listed a couple of the stones off in his head as he felt them with his fingers, recognizing the polished stones by the shape and the rough stones by texture. After a few moments of feeling them he turned away and exited the room.

As he descended the stairs to the kitchen he crinkled his nose at the scent of smoke. His brother Allistier stood pouring cereal as he smoked a fag. His bright maroon hair seemed to glow in the low light. Neither brother cared to have bright light in the morning. "Must you smoke so early?" Arthur grumbled, going for his own bowl of cereal. Tea was already brewing in the kettle but Arthur didn't like that kind. He stopped getting his breakfast and instead started making his own tea with the tea leaves he kept in the cupboard.

"Shut your mouth." Allistier growled back at his younger sibling, his Scottish accent thick especially in the morning. He wasn't dressed in his suit yet which meant he wasn't going to work yet. "It's my house." Arthur didn't reply but he was irked. He and his brother didn't get along. His whole family knew of this but it hadn't stopped them from sending him to America with Allistier. Anything to get him out of their hair, really. Arthur grunted soundlessly at the thought. He didn't blame his family at all. With a child like him Arthur would have sent him away as well. It was for the best. Truly.

He shook his head and poured his cereal as his water boiled quickly. He had his milk in the bowl by the time the water was boiling. He carried the pot over and poured it over the herb leaves into the canteen before placing the lid on to let it soak. In the meantime he began eating.

"First day of twelfth grade, eh?" Allistier commented, putting out his fag in a tray. He looked amused by the thought but he wasn't happy. Arthur knew that his brother was wary of letting him go to school. Especially after…

"Yes." Arthur agreed. His final year of high school would be in a new school and a new country. How worthless. He wasn't looking forward to it any more than Allistier was. He didn't like to be around people. Everywhere he had gone he had been treated like a freak, a monster, or an outcast. His "religious" stance as he practiced the Craft was partly the reason why but it was mostly the reputation that had followed him. Death followed him.

"_**But this is a new country."**_ A voice said into his mind. Arthur nearly smiled. His pendulum was awake. _**"You can start over. You can make friends here."**_

"_No." _Arthur replied mentally knowing that she could hear him. In his mind's eye he could visualize her. She had short dirty-blonde hair cropped in a pixie cut with blue eyes. Her outfit was rather boyish but the shirt was frilly and white to balance out the khaki pants. Although she had a French accent (he would admit that he was prejudice against the French) he cared for Jeanne greatly. She was one of the stones he had the longest and she was his oldest friend. However he was wary of holding her in his receiving hand. She was a rose quartz pendulum. She honestly wanted to help Arthur any chance that came up –potential friendship, someone that Arthur found attractive, or family life- but Arthur couldn't accept her help. He couldn't accept love in any form. It was his curse to bear for his horrible past.

"_**Arthur, this is a lovely opportunity."**_ Jeanne said, frowning at her owner.

"_It doesn't matter. After this year I'll be living without people." _Jeanne sighed at Arthur and faded from his mind's eye signifying the end of their conversation.

"You're going to miss your bus." Allistier said as he stood to clean his bowl and head upstairs. Arthur followed suit and dumped the rest of his meal. He grabbed his tea and poured it into a travel cup before placing it next to the sink. He could reuse the leaves. He didn't add anything but a bit of honey to the tea before going upstairs to grab his backpack and then head back downstairs. Allistier grabbed him before he could exit the house. His face was shadowed in the dim hallway causing his green eyes to stand out more. "Watch yourself." He warned, his voice intoning deeply. Arthur nodded, feeling a chill. This would be his only warning, he knew. Vaguely he was reminded of his father.

Allistier released him and Arthur left the house going to his predestinated bus stop. Although the household owned both a pick-up truck and a motorcycle, Arthur couldn't use them. He had his American license but the motorcycle was completely Allistier's and he didn't allow Arthur to so much as breathe on it let alone let him touch or see. The truck Arthur could use whenever he wanted in exception to when his brother worked, which meant he had it on the weekends. He couldn't ride a motorbike in a suit. It would cause the outfit to become a mess.

The morning had a slight chill but Arthur could feel the humidity the sun would bring. The sky was still fairly blue-black but it was lightening in the East. Arthur greeted the sun as it began to poke an orange head up over the horizon. He glanced up at the stars to see which constellations he could name as he waited for the bus. When it arrived, he climbed on quietly. The bus ride was uneventful. Arthur sat by his self with multiple other kids dressed in similar uniforms. A pair of girls chatted quietly. Most listened to their music. Arthur closed his eyes. The energy around him was swirling. It made him somewhat nauseous. He dreaded school.

The bus jerked to a stop jolting Arthur awake as the lights in the bus came on. He blinked and watched as the other students filed off the bus before following along behind. It was already loud outside with chatter as people greeted friends they hadn't seen since before the summer. Arthur looked around at the place he would call school for the next nine months.

"_It's called the World Academy, Arthur!" His mother had chirped, smiling. It seemed strained, but then again Arthur hadn't seen his mother truly smile in many years. "It's in America but it's very exclusive! They only want certain children from around the world and you've been accepted! You should thank your father for having such wonderful connections!"_

"_That all sounds rather expensive." Arthur had mused, looking at the flier for the school. It looked rather grand. "Will I be boarding there?" Just the thought made Arthur terrified. He didn't want to live around so many others. It would be better if he didn't._

_His mother must have thought the same. "No, you'll be living with Allistier!" Arthur blanched._

"_Never!" He cried. Live alone with his elder brother? Impossible!_

"_You can't say no!" His mother shrieked suddenly, causing Arthur to reel back. She held desperation in his eyes that made Arthur's heart sink. She wasn't just getting him into a new school but sending him away from them. They were practically abandoning him. His mother's hysterical voice was enough of a cue. _

"…_Yes, mother."_

He sighed through his nose and walked towards the main buildings. He pulled out and unfolded his schedule to glance at his list of teachers for the semester. It appeared that his school had block scheduling so he had four classes. His first class's teacher's name vaguely sounded familiar to him but it was probably only because it was it was a British Isle clan name.

Arthur hadn't been paying attention as he stood reading over his schedule and glancing at his map to know where he needed to go for the day and so he didn't notice as laughter approached him and the last second he looked up as someone yelped, "Al, watch it-"

A body slammed into him and sent him tumbling onto his bottom with a grunt. _Bloody hell, the bullying already-? _He clenched his eyes shut in fear.

"Oh shit, you okay?" Arthur's eyes snapped open at the sincerity in the question and looked up to see bright blue eyes. His heart jolted in surprise before he focused on all of the features. The boy above him wore square wire-frame glasses and was grinning slightly, reassuringly. His hair was wheat blonde and a single strand seemed to be curled up. Beside him Arthur saw what had to be the boy's twin brother. He held out a hand for Arthur to take.

Arthur refused the hand and gathered his dropped schedule before standing up. His bottom stung a bit from the fall but it was nothing that he couldn't handle. "I'm fine." He said, brushing the seat of his pants off. "Do watch where you're going next time."

"Whoa, you're British!" The boy announced, surprised. Arthur glared slightly at the comment that had nothing to do with the situation. This one was obviously completely American.

"Al, stop it." The boy's brother scolded before he turned to Arthur. "I'm sorry about him. It's the first day of school…" Arthur hadn't expected the twin brother to be Canadian, from the sound of his accent. Maybe they weren't really brothers?

"And we're seniors now! Top of the class!" Al cheered, throwing his fist up in excitement. A few grumbles and a couple of laughs from nearby as well as the glances at the American gave Arthur the impression he needed of him. He also realized that he might have classes with the loud boy and made a bit of a face. "But sorry about running into you, man. It was an accident." He finally apologized, getting back on topic.

"It's fine." Arthur insisted once again and glanced back at his map to make sure he knew where he was going. He was finished with their conversation.

Apparently Al wasn't. "So anyway, you a freshman?" He asked, peeking at Arthur above the map playfully. Arthur glared at him.

"No, I am not. I'm a senior."

"Really? Never seen you around before!"

"He must be new." The second boy said and smiled gently at Arthur. Arthur's guard was still spiked though. He hunched his shoulders a bit and turned his head away.

"Wow! That's cool! A new senior? I've been with these guys in my class since I was a freshy! Hey, what's your name? Let's be friends! I'll introduce you to everyone!" Arthur's heart completely shut itself tightly at the word. 'Friends'. It was something Arthur had always longed for. He wanted people to talk to and to be loved by. He wanted to be a part of a group of people and know that he was accepted. But that wish would never be a reality. He wouldn't allow it to be. And so he would start with this 'Al'. He had to reject him. It would be his end before it could start.

"That's none of your business." Arthur said, causing Al's eyes to widen. Obviously he wasn't used to rejection. Probably in any shape or form. Well Arthur would just be his first, then. "Now if you'll excuse me…" He tried to move around the slightly taller American and managed to slip past the twins to leave.

"Hey! Well if you ever want help or if you wanna hang out my name's Alfred!" Arthur hesitated in his steps, baffled. He had completely ignored Alfred's question and yet he had still wanted to get to know him? It mystified him. He glanced back at Alfred and saw him grin and wave before turning and walking off with his twin. Arthur shook his head and walked in the opposite direction away from the duo. His heart warmed pleasantly. Although he knew that he could never be friends with either of the twins, it still made him feel nice to be talked to as if he wasn't a monster.

In the back of his mind he spotted Jeanne smiling at him happily. He frowned. "_Don't get any ideas." _He warned her. Even though he wasn't holding her in his receiving hand, she still had an effect on his mood and personality because she was on his form.

"_I wouldn't possibly." _Jeanne said innocently before she faded. Arthur had a sneaking suspicion that she was far too pleased with that little conversation with Alfred than she should be. He decided to ignore it for the time being and instead focused on walking the length of the school. He had nearly twenty minutes before class started. He walked slowly in the hallways keeping track of where he was on his map. He lifted his right arm and ran his fingertips along the wall as he traveled, closing his eyes. He didn't open them, instead taking in his surroundings. He could sense the multiple energies in the air from so many people. He could sense who the good people were and who the people with bad intentions were. If he wanted he could allow himself to see auras but he preferred not to. There was no point in that.

He smiled as he spotted a faerie –rather startled by the sheer amount of people suddenly in its territory for it had moved there over the summer- rush past him. It didn't stop for him but neither did Arthur for it. He inhaled quietly and quickly as he felt an energy that sent a shiver down his spine. He opened his eyes and glanced to the right to see a boy's lavatory. He would have to remember to avoid it and pulled out a pen to mark it on his map. He then continued on for a few more minutes yet.

He didn't have the chance to explore the whole school but he made a mental note to do the other half tomorrow morning. He checked his watch and where he was on his map before he headed in the direction of his first block. He wanted to arrive early so as to choose the closest seat to the door and away from the other students if possible. However with the different hallways he ended up becoming slightly mixed up before he realized that his classroom was on the third floor. Cursing his luck he instead turned to go up the stairs, climbing his way to the third floor. He had been in the right area, only he had been on the wrong floor.

He entered the classroom to find only two other students in there. Neither was talking to each other and was sitting down removing their supplies from their bags. Arthur hesitated before he sat down in the seat closest to the door. Luckily it was still open. One of the people sat behind him. He appeared to be of Asian descent and he was rather small with almond-shaped brown eyes. Arthur knew that this school took students from around the world. He wondered if all of them spoke English. This class, he knew, was world history.

He was pulling out his own supplies as more students trickled into the room. They were few and far between it appeared to him. He suspected that it would be a rather small class considering things. He looked down at his notebook and began to idly write notes about the school so far. He needed to find out what areas to avoid. He didn't need to get headaches. He wanted to avoid using an aura if he could.

"Whoa!" Arthur nearly jumped out of his seat at the loud voice and slammed his knee into his desk. He cursed under his breath and looked up to see the same boy from earlier –what was his name? Alfred- run into the class room. The boy looked at him with wide blue eyes and a grin. "We meet again, British dude!" He cried loudly, approaching Arthur. Arthur tried to ignore him glaring down at his notebook. Alfred wouldn't take a hint, though, and dropped his book-bag on the desk next to Arthur's. The English boy began to sincerely curse his fate. Alfred turned to face him. "We have first block together!"

"Obviously." Arthur grumbled and turned his head away to show that he didn't want to talk. Alfred seemed to take the hint and turned instead to the Asian behind Arthur.

"Kiku! You're here too! Hey, who else is in this class?"

"_Ohayo_, Alfred-kun." Kiku greeted and Arthur understood that the Asian was Japanese. "As far as I know we have Vash-san, Elizaveta-chan, and Ivan-san."

Alfred groaned next to him. "Ivan, really? Man, I thought for sure he was kicked out!"

"No, he only left school for the last few days because of his elder sister, I believe."

"Damn. Oh well." Alfred turned to Arthur to speak. "So hey, this is my buddy Kiku! Kiku, this is big brows!" Arthur scowled at the name.

"Ah-um…" Kiku stuttered, obviously disapproving of Alfred calling someone that but Arthur was the one who rounded on him.

"My name is _not_ big brows!" He growled. "I demand that you not call me that!"

Alfred shrugged. "Okay, then what's your real name?"

"I already told you that it's not any of your business!"

"Then I'll keep calling you big brows!" Arthur turned furiously away, fuming. Already he hated school. He realized that this Alfred was probably going to be his next bully. He hated his life. Alfred next to him waited for a response and then frowned, seeing Arthur's face. "Hey, I was just kidding. I won't call you that. But what should I call you?"

"Just leave me alone!" Arthur snapped and dug through his backpack to give himself something to do even though he didn't have anything he needed to bring out. Alfred listened and instead turned to talk to Kiku, but Arthur could hear the strain in his voice. He had upset Alfred. Fine, he could live with that. At least then Alfred would leave him alone finally.

A bell rang signifying the beginning of class but still the teacher wasn't in. The other students seemed unworried and continued talking with each other. Alfred laughed and then turned to Arthur. "So what classes do you have?" He asked as if they were old friends. Arthur ignored him. "Aw come on, don't be rude. I thought all you British people try to be proper?"

"We are." Arthur blurted out before he could stop himself. "Unlike you brutish Americans. And I'm not being rude."

"You so totally are, man! You just insulted me!" But Alfred was grinning as if he hadn't been insulted. Arthur noted that Alfred hadn't taken it to heart.

"I don't care."

"You're so stingy!" Alfred jabbed Arthur's side if a finger. Arthur jumped and slapped the hand away.

"Don't do that." He warned.

"Why not?" He poked him again.

"Stop that!" Again Arthur slapped his hand away.

"I don't wanna." Alfred grabbed Arthur's side and Arthur yelped and hit his arm.

"Stop touching me!" Alfred only laughed. Arthur could do nothing but glare at him. Behind him he heard Kiku's soft chuckle.

"Just tell me your name and I'll stop." The American bargained. Arthur was fed-up with Alfred's teasing. He wanted to hit him but he didn't need to get in trouble on his first day. Even if his teacher was in yet.

"If it'll get you to leave me be, my name is-" Just then the door opened and in walked another person. Arthur stared at a familiar maroon head of hair and rough stubble and green eyes. He couldn't believe his horrid luck.

Allistier gazed at the class and a grin formed on his face at seeing Arthur in the front row. "Well, well, well, if it ain't me wee li'l brother!"

Arthur groaned and wanted to slam his face into the desk. "What the devil are you doing here, Allistier? You already graduated."

"I know that of course, you idiot!" Allistier said and walked over to the board to write down his name, 'Mr. Mackintosh'. "I'm the teacher." Arthur felt that his day couldn't possibly get any worse.

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**A/N: So I'm going to try to name the chapters after songs that fit Arthur's life. I'll start the party off with 'The End' by My Chemical Romance. "Now come one, come all to this tragic affair~" indeed. Welcome to my story. :D**

**Arthur does talk to his pendulum. That's who Jeanne is.**

**REVIEW!**


	3. My True Self

**Chapter 2: I Want to be Alone**

"How are you possibly a teacher?" Arthur demanded from his brother, not caring that everyone in class was paying complete attention to them. Even Alfred was quiet. It wasn't everyday that a brand new kid argued with a teacher on the first day. How exciting. "You're barely out of college!"

"I have my degree." Allistier sniffed. "Now sit your arse down and shut it. I need to start class." Arthur huffed, having not even stood up but he closed his mouth. As much as he hated it Allistier was indeed his teacher at the moment. Allistier turned and rubbed his hair before sighing. "Well there's not much of a lesson plan for the day. So for now we'll do introductions as well as just filling out these stupid sheets given to me." He waved some papers around before he looked pointedly at Arthur and grinned. "You first, brat."

Arthur stood from his seat scowling. "My name is Arthur Kirkland. And your last name is not Mackintosh."

"It is. I'm using mum's name." Arthur was rather surprised that Allistier even knew his mother's clan's name. _Actually, _he amended, _I'm not surprised_. Arthur and his brothers (in exception to Arthur's youngest sibling Peter) all had different mothers. Arthur's father had played around when he was younger and had accepted all of the sons when the mothers had not. Eventually he married Arthur's mum and had Arthur and eventually Peter. Most of the brothers had a grudge against their shared father because of it. "And you're to tell us about yourself."

"How much?" Arthur demanded, not pleased at all. He crossed his arms and refused to look at the kids snickering amused at the interaction between the teacher and the student.

"Until I tell you to stop."

"That's ridiculous!"

Allistier only laughed, entertained by torturing his younger sibling. "Fine, three things and include the country you're from."

Arthur felt a bit more relieved at that. He didn't want to tell too much about himself. He didn't want to have anything in common with anyone but he knew that if he lied Allistier would call him out on it. He could see it in his brother's deviously delighted green eyes. "My name is Arthur Kirkland," he repeated, "and I moved here from Great Britain. I have never lived in the United States before." With only slight hesitation he looked at Alfred and stated for the class to hear, "I don't want any friends." He sat back down and ignored the stunned looks he received –specifically from a certain American- and returned to his notebook to ignore the rest of the class.

"Alright then, next-" Allistier tried to speak but Alfred cut him off.

"What do you mean you don't want friends? Dude, everyone wants friends!"

"I don't." Arthur stated. He could feel Jeanne's disapproval. She was upset that Arthur wasn't even trying to make friends and that he was pushing them away. Arthur bit his tongue.

"What the heck is up with that!" The sudden thought occurred to Arthur that maybe he had just become enemies with people and had just opened himself up to bullying. He began to tremble slightly at the thought. He couldn't help his body's reactions. He clenched his fists and lowered his head. "Arthur!"

"Enough!" Allistier interrupted as Arthur scrambled into his pocket to pull out his amethyst stone to hold in his receiving hand. Maybe he didn't make any bullies for him. Maybe this time would be different. Maybe this time he could make it without being pushed around at school. He was worrying over nothing. He would make sure of it. "I said for the next person to go!" The class quieted down fearfully of Allistier. Arthur could understand why. His brother could be terrifying when angry.

Arthur didn't pay attention as the next students introduced themselves. There were people from South America and African countries. There were a few Middle Eastern students as well. Arthur recognized Ivan's name as he announced that he was Russian. Alfred had said he was American and Kiku Japanese. Apparently Vash was Swiss and Elizaveta was Hungarian. He marveled that he was surrounded by so many people from around the world. Most of them had lived in North America since their 9th grade year when they had been accepted to this high school. Others like Alfred had been there much longer. But all were born in their original countries of origin.

"Wait!" Alfred called out as Allistier prepared to end discussion and just pass out the papers. Allistier paused, annoyed. "What about you? Aren't you gonna tell us some stuff?"

"He's right, sir." Elizaveta backed Alfred up. "You're a new teacher. May we know about you?"

Allistier grunted. "I suppose you could." He sighed and glanced outside and then at the clock. Arthur could tell his brother wanted to smoke. "You don't need to know my first name but I'm from Scotland originally. I'm related to this brat," he jerked his thumb at Arthur, "and I moved here for…family reasons." Arthur stiffened significantly.

"What do you mean by that?" One of the students asked innocently. Arthur shot a glare at Allistier. His brother ignored it.

"Specifically this one." Again he jerked his finger at Arthur. Arthur stood up swiftly, shaking with a mixture of rage and fear. How much was he going to reveal? Surely he wasn't that foolish! "Sit your arse back down!" His brother barked, sending him a sharp look that had Arthur immediately obeying. They stared each other down for a long period of time before Arthur had to look away first. "But that's none of your business." The teacher finished, turning back to the students. "Now then," He picked up the papers and began passing them out.

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Arthur ignored the talking around him as he filled out his introductory papers and passed back the other packets Allistier gave him. Only some were meant strictly for Arthur being as he was a new student but most everyone else had to fill out the other papers as well. He felt the occasional glance at him. His senses were on high alert. The atmosphere weighed down on him heavy and tense. Arthur knew it was because he was the only new student. Everyone in this class seemed to know each other in some way.

The bell rang cueing the shuffling of papers and book-bags as students gathered their items. Arthur moved quickly but he had to turn in his papers to his brother first. Allistier took the papers and glanced at Arthur. "Really trying to distance yourself, eh?"

Arthur avoided his look. "It's none of your concern." He shifted his backpack higher on his shoulder and departed. He unfolded his schedule and map and tsked before turning around to walk in the opposite direction. He kept his head lowered a little as he walked quickly towards his destination. He didn't want to interact with anyone. He avoided people as if one touch would kill him.

"_**Arthur, people might think you're a…freak –I'm sorry- if you act like this."**_ Jeanne said with her voice full of worry.

_I don't care._ Arthur told her mentally. This was how he wanted it. He didn't mind if he was considered a freak if it meant that people left him alone. He wanted to be alone.

"_A-Ano_…" Arthur started as he felt a soft tap on his shoulder and he spun around. Kiku behind him flinched slightly, appearing a bit nervous. Arthur narrowed his eyes a bit and the Japanese boy looked away.

"Yes, what is it?" He asked, trying to sound only a bit rude.

"Ah, well, I noticed the direction you're heading. That would be where the tenth graders are. I don't believe you'd have any classes there…" Kiku said.

Arthur blinked and looked at his map. He realized that he had been going completely off-course. He grunted, annoyed at his self and turned to Kiku. "…Thank you. I hadn't realized…"

Kiku smiled a bit at him. "It is not an issue." He hesitated for a moment before asking, "May I know what class you have next? Perhaps I can direct you there?"

Arthur opened his mouth to reject the offer but he felt a spike of energy stab his leg from Jeanne and he instead found himself saying, "I'd be most grateful."

Kiku nodded and Arthur reluctantly handed over his schedule, mentally berating Jeanne. However she didn't seem to care. "Ah, you appear to have the next class with me."

"Is that so?" He asked, displeased.

Kiku didn't respond to the displeasure and quieted as he handed back Arthur's schedule. "…We can…walk together if you don't mind."

"I suppose I don't have a choice. We're going to the same place." Arthur bit back a sigh and the two began walking towards their next class. Neither spoke to each other which Arthur was happy for. It made sure that he wouldn't become friends with Kiku. Friends talked to each other. Communication formed friends. He didn't want to be friends with anybody. It was better this way, he kept telling himself.

He reflected on himself to see just how well he was doing in his feat. It was his goal, after all. But one glance at Kiku and remembering his talk with him he realized just how rude he was. It was unacceptable to someone like him. After all, Kiku hadn't wronged him in any way. "…I'm sorry." He said quietly.

Kiku looked at him with slightly wide-eyes before they returned to their normal look and he smiled softly looking back in front of them. "I do not mind." He said.

"I was being extremely rude."

"It is only because you do not friends, correct?" Arthur stared at Kiku. Kiku chuckled softly, covering his mouth with his hand and met Arthur's stare with knowing eyes. "Kirkland-san there are other ways of not achieving friends without being rude. If you do not want to be friends, I will not pressure you nor will I ask you the reason for your actions."

Arthur looked away quickly. "You mean like that blasted Alfred?"

"You'll have to excuse him. He is…eccentric."

"You mean a nosy git."

Kiku chuckled again. "Perhaps that as well." Their conversation ended there but Arthur's heart felt lighter. Kiku was a kind person, he came to understand. He was tempted to try to search Kiku's aura for any malintentions but he resisted the urge. The less he used his energy the better. He didn't know what types of people were here in this school. His last school had someone of…similar ability as him and had given him away. He shuddered remembering the merciless outcasting he was given.

Arriving into the classroom Arthur noticed already a majority of familiar faces from his previous class. This confused him. Usually there were only so many kids that were from your previous class in your next one –if you were lucky- and most of the time you didn't have anyone from your previous class. Yet he could name off five already. He noticed Elizaveta from her long brown hair with flowers in it as Kiku moved to sit near her. The two were in the front and the open seat next to the door was next to them. That was the only reason why Arthur sat down there. Not because Kiku was there.

Kiku smiled at her. "It appears we have another class together, Elizaveta-chan."

The Hungarian girl nodded with a smile. "It appears so! I wonder if we'll have all four together again?" the two didn't try to pull out their schedules to check. Arthur moved to remove his supplies from his bag. "Oh, hello Arthur." Arthur was surprised that he had been addressed. The girl gave him a smile but it appeared that she had just been giving him a friendly greeting.

"…Hello…" He responded somewhat quietly and sat up pulling his binder and pen with him.

"How many classes do you have with him, Kiku, if you know?" Elizaveta asked.

"Ah, three." Kiku turned to Arthur as he spotted his baffled look. Arthur was amazed. How was it possible that he had so many classes with this boy? "The senior class, you see, is rather small and so we have high chances of seeing each other in other classes. There is very little variation."

"Yes, we all know each other because of the fact that we have multiple classes together." Elizaveta agreed. Arthur mentally groaned. This meant higher chances of interacting with the same people. He was bound to meet people he got along with.

* * *

The classes, he was beginning to realize as his day progressed, was certainly like that. He saw familiar faces wherever he went. He knew that within two or three days' time he would be able to recognize and name every person in the twelfth grade. Even at lunch –which wasn't separated by grades but just had everyone in the school eating together- Arthur could tell the seniors from the younger classmen purely because the younger grades weren't in his classes. At lunch he refused to sit with anyone in the large cafeteria. It was large enough for the whole school and still managed to keep room. Arthur instead chose to sit outside underneath a tree and eat by himself. A few others he saw had done the same but they all sat apart from each other.

Arthur took a bite of his sandwich and drank his tea from this morning –still hot because of the container but half empty because he had been sipping throughout the day. He felt content. He was glad with this set up. He would deal with students all day but he would sit by himself at lunch. Lunch was the one time of the day where socialization was at its maximum. If Arthur didn't participate then he wouldn't make friends. He gave a contented sigh as he sipped his tea some more. He knew how humans worked. He had planned everything perfectly. It would just be himself for the rest of the year. As long as he could keep this up then there would be no problem.

The lunch bell rang and Arthur threw his trash away before going to a water fountain to rinse out his empty tea container. After that he put it away in his backpack as he walked towards his next class. With dawning horror he realized exactly what class he had. It was in the gymnasium. No, he couldn't allow this. He couldn't go into the locker rooms. He couldn't change in front of other people. He trembled at the mere thought of it. Memories –nightmares- sprang into his head and he shook them furiously, groping into his pocket for his amethyst once again. He held it firmly gripped in his receiving hand as he went to go talk to the coach of the class.

The coach was a tall blonde man, his hair extending past his neck and down his back. He had it in a ponytail for the time being and a braid was hanging loosely in front of his ear. He had striking bright blue eyes that made Arthur somewhat nervous to talk to him. The coach reminded him of a student in his class. "Excuse me," he asked walking up to the teacher, "but I need to sit out."

The man turned to face him. "What do you mean?"

"I can't play today."

"Unless you have a doctor's note, you have to participate. This class is a requirement." Arthur couldn't believe this bullshit. Who makes physical education a requirement?

"But I can't…" Arthur tried to protest more, fearful. He _couldn't_ participate. It would only hurt him.

The coach stared him down for a moment making Arthur's nervousness spike but the man's eyes softened just a tiny bit. "I'm sorry if there is some issue, but I cannot allow you to sit out unless you have a doctor's note. Now go change."

"I don't have any clothing." Arthur supplied quickly, hopeful. If he didn't have clothing to change into then he had nothing to fear. He couldn't possibly do workouts in the uniform he was in.

"Your brother came by with a spare change of clothing earlier stating that you had left them at home." Arthur cursed his brother furiously in every way that he could think of in hopes of him burning in Hell. "They're in the third row of lockers in front of your locker. Go now." Accepting his fate, Arthur skulked off to the locker room.

He avoided looking at anybody in the locker room already changing and firmly kept his gaze down. It would be dangerous to look up. But he had to as he heard a familiar voice call out, "Hey, whose clothes are these?" Arthur looked up to see Alfred looking at a plastic bag full of clothes. Forebodingly he looked at the previous row of lockers and counted three.

_My life keeps getting better and better._ He thought, upset, and entered the third row. "They're mine." Arthur snatched the bag from Alfred. Alfred blinked at him and grinned.

"Artie! You're in this class too? Dude, I haven't seen you since first block! That's a shock!" He laughed at his rhyme. Arthur was about to ignore him when he froze and slowly looked back at him.

"_What_ did you call me?" He asked.

"Artie! It's your name, right?" He responded, still grinning.

Arthur made a disgusted noise. "It's _Arthur_, not Artie." He opened up the locker door and stood there for a moment, not wanting to change. He leaned down and slowly began removing his shoes. If he delayed long enough everyone would leave and he could change quickly.

"Well Artie's easier to remember!" Alfred announced and opened the locker next to Arthur's. Arthur scowled.

"Must you have a locker next to mine?" He demanded.

"Can't help it, man. Our last names are next to each other." Arthur recalled that Alfred's last name started with a 'J'. Bloody hell. Alfred began to pull off his jacket and shirt and Arthur quickly sat down on the bench, glaring at the bag. He ripped it open to see a plain white shirt and black sweatpants and a pair of sneakers. They looked new. On top of them was a note. **Good luck, idiot brother.** It read. Arthur balled it up angrily and threw it to the side. "So you're not changing?" Alfred asked, sitting down on the bench next to him as he pulled off his shoes and pants.

Arthur looked away. "It's none of your business."

"Oh my fuck, do you have a stick up your ass or what, dude? You're such a prick." Arthur flinched at the name, taking it to heart more than he should've. He heard Jeanne cajoling and scolding him in the back of his mind. Arthur couldn't help himself. He was over-sensitive to name calling. Alfred didn't seem to notice, however. "I mean, I'm just trying to be friendly and you're just being a total asshole!"

Arthur's eyes teared up some and he furiously blinked them away. He couldn't cry. That was what bullies always wanted. They wanted to see them broken. Arthur wanted to hurry and get out of there. He took a shuddering breath. "Please…just leave me alone…"

Arthur felt the shift in the atmosphere suddenly and Alfred grabbed his shoulder to force Arthur to face him. His eyes widened in horror at the tears threatening the English man's eyes right before Arthur tore himself away from him. "Oh man, I wasn't trying to…Fuck, I'm sorry! I didn't mean to…" Alfred stumbled over his words.

"It doesn't matter! I'm fine!" Arthur declared and stood deciding to get it over with and began tearing off his clothing to strip to his underwear. From the corner of his eye he saw Alfred staring. He knew exactly what he was staring at and it wasn't Arthur's figure. He was just a scrawny, boney, pale boy with nothing attractive about him. He was nothing compared to Alfred's golden, toned body (that Arthur had only spotted, not looked at of course). That certainly wasn't what Alfred was staring at. Instead it was the criss-crossing glaring pink lines covering his body. They were everywhere on his back –they had been targeted there the most- and on his legs. His arms didn't have as many except for five or six near the top of his arms –easily covered by clothing. On his chest were numerous scars as well as a single grotesque one in the shape of something similar to a heart over his left pectoral.

Arthur loathed his body.

"Art-" Arthur shot a glare at Alfred, daring him to mention his body. Alfred wisely snapped his mouth shut, his eyes so wide his pupils were tiny in the fluorescent lighting. He quickly threw on the shirt and pants –luckily the shirt covered up most of the scars at the top of his arms- before tying his shoes and stuffing his stones into his pockets before leaving the locker room and Alfred. He then firmly stormed over to the bleachers and sat by himself shaking and on the verge of tears. He took deep breaths to calm himself.

He hated the locker rooms for various reasons one of them being how horribly mangled his body was. It was a hideous reminder of events in Arthur's past and none of the scars were of his choosing. He hadn't given them to himself. Not a single one. But nor were they birthmarks. He had experienced the pain of each and every scar as it had ripped across his body. And none of them would fade. They all stayed bright pink. None were a pale white expected of an old scar. On top of the reason of his body he had often been bullied in the locker room. He remembered being shoved against the cold lockers and being called various names because of his body and life. He remembered exactly how horrible the boys were as they groped him and called _him_ the fag. Arthur couldn't remember a time he'd ever felt clean.

Alfred exited the locker room a few moments later fully dressed and looked up to lock eyes with Arthur. Arthur looked away from him but turned back to watch Alfred walk across the gym and sit with his friends –Arthur recognized Feliciano from his third block, Kiku, Vash, Matthew (Alfred's twin brother), Gilbert from Arthur's second and third blocks, and a couple others he forgot the names of- quietly. He greeted his friends before he looked at Arthur worried. Most of the kids in the gym were either in the locker room or were sitting in groups of friends except for Arthur. He sat alone. The others of Alfred's friends looked at him too questioningly because of Alfred but Arthur ignored them and looked away. The hollow weight of loneliness settled in his heart, choking him.

He wanted to be alone.

Truly it was for the best.

* * *

**A/N: Yes, I realize that I'm repeating lines here.  
This chapter's song is "I Want to be Alone" by Green Day. Pretty crappy song in my opinion (they have better) but it works for this chapter.**

**REVIEW**


	4. Rolling Boy

**Chapter 3: Rolling Boy**

"_You're such a FREAK!" A bang resounded through the hallway as Arthur's body was slammed against it. His eyes snapped shut in pain before he opened them to prepare himself. Why did he always have such bad luck? Why was he always targeted? Was there something about him that boys insisted on bullying him? He was already in pain in more ways than one. He didn't need this too._

"_Leave me alone!" He screamed and punched one of his attackers in the face, sending him sprawling. The other two jumped him immediately, pinning him to the ground by his arms. Arthur kicked and screamed but most people were gone from school by now. Arthur had only come back to grab his pencil case that he had wanted to bring home. What a terrible idea. _

"_You ass!" The air was flung from his lungs as a foot dug itself into his ribs. Tears were ripped from his eyes as he cried out in pain. He struggled against each kick and punch he received until he finally just gave up and accepted his fate. The beating continued for a few more minutes before the bullies became bored. "Jeez, this isn't fun anymore. Let's just leave and get some candy with his money!"_

"_Yeah!" The others agreed and released Arthur before running off. Arthur rolled onto his side and sobbed in pain, clenching his arms around himself. He hated his life. He was a teenager now. These should be some of the best years of his life. But there was nothing different. He was still the little kid that was bullied. He was still the freak. He always would be. _

"_Grandmother!" Arthur sobbed as he burst into his grandmother's house. His face was bruised and cut and sore from his earlier beaten. His side was swelling. He thought he may have had a broken rib. But still he had run all of the way to his grandmother's house. She was the only one who still understood and cared about him. _

_Arthur ran upstairs to where the old woman was lying in her bed quietly reading a book. Her hair was the whitest of blondes on the brink of being fully white. She was aged –in her late sixties- but she still looked rather young. She wore fashionable glasses on her face as she read. His grandmother liked to keep up with the latest trends. Her tiny room was filled with the scent of cinnamon. It was a scent Arthur had come to immediately associate with his grandmother. It was the scent of happiness. She looked up upon hearing him come in._

"_Hello, Arthur." She became suddenly distraught at his appearance and she climbed out of bed. "Oh, Arthur. Again?" Arthur sobbed and fell into her arms._

"_I didn't do anything! I just wanted to get my pencil bag!" _

"_I know. Shh, it's alright now." She rubbed his back soothingly._

"_I hate it! I hate my life! Grandmother I want to live with you!"_

"_You know I can't." She pulled him away and pet his face. "Your mother and father need you more."_

"_They don't!" Arthur shook his head. "My family hates me! Nobody understands! Grandmother, you're the only one who understands me and my powers!"_

"_Everybody has powers, Arthur, you know that." She kissed his forehead. "Even your parents. They just…don't want to access it."_

"_Please, my luck is so horrible!"_

"_Then how about I help you?" She winked and stood to walk over to a wooden shelf to pull down a candle and put it down to light it. "Place your hand over the flame. Careful now; you don't want to burn yourself." Arthur listened to his grandmother without hesitation and placed his hand over the flame. He felt the heat but it didn't bother him all that much. His grandmother placed her hands over his one and began chanting quietly. Arthur didn't understand but one or two words of the language being how he was still learning it and how ancient it was. Arthur closed his eyes and felt his grandmother's sweet energy flowing and swirling around his. The energy from the candle twirled up to meet hers painting a gorgeous mixture of colours in Arthur's mind's eye. _

_After a few minutes the candle's flame disappeared and the energy faded. Arthur felt lighter but drained. His own energy had been pulled into the mixture without his knowledge. But the world felt lighter and so did his pain. He felt good. Opening his eyes he saw his grandmother's soft smile and knew whatever charm she had performed had worked. "Thank you." He whispered, wiping his face. He was still in but it didn't hurt as badly. _

"_There you are. Now you should-" She cut off and with a gasp looked behind him. Arthur moved to look feeling suddenly horrible and threatened. His body began to shake like crazy. His grandmother grabbed his face and made him look at her before he could see whatever it was that he felt. "Arthur. Listen to me. I want you to take this." She reached into her jewelry box and pulled out an earring of a dragon. Arthur had seen his grandfather wearing it before in old pictures. It still looked brand new. The black eyes of the dragon seemed to glow with a hidden rainbow of a flame behind them. "Wear this all the time. Only take it out during times you feel safe." She shoved the sharp tail into Arthur's ear causing him to cry out in pain –he didn't have pierced ears. The tail cut through his ear like butter forming a hole big enough for it in the ear. She then attached the head of the dragon to the top of his ear. _

"_G-Grandmother, I don't understand-" Arthur tried, teary-eyed but his grandmother only smiled sadly. _

"_Be safe." She whispered and Arthur felt a sharp pain rip across his shoulder and saw the spray of blood._

* * *

Arthur sat up with a loud gasp and trembling. His hand immediately flew to one of the scars on the top of his right arm and rubbed it as the echo of pain began to fade. His other hand moved to his ear where he felt the hole for his dragon. It wasn't there because he never left it in when he slept so he climbed out of bed quickly to go put it on. With a relieved sigh he felt much better. He felt protected. The dragon's protection spell still held firm. He could feel it.

His body trembled some from the memory and he glanced at himself in the mirror. His face was ashen and he looked horrible. He had been moving around a lot in his sleep again; he knew just from the look. He didn't complain, though. Movement was the only thing that made him feel safe. It meant that he was still alive. He glanced over his shoulder quickly before he started to get dressed. Down the hall he could hear the shower running signaling that Allistier was up. Lovely. Well there was school today so it was reasonable. It was Friday, the end of the first week of school. It had been a long…and quiet one. Nobody bothered Arthur. On occasion he chatted with Kiku but other than that he had no human interaction at the school.

Arthur moved to the closet to dress before going downstairs. He usually liked to brush his teeth before eating breakfast but with his brother in there he couldn't. There was no way he was sharing a bathroom. He could deal with washing his face in the sink. The water was chilled and he shivered, disliking it. However, it forced his senses alive. He was fully awake. He sighed and drifted over to the stove to start cooking some eggs. If he made some for Allistier, perhaps he could get the man to take him to school. He closed his eyes after he had the eggs on the skillet before opening his senses to the world around him. He felt the little boy ghost that haunted the house up in his bedroom doing god-knows what. Allistier's energy was a glittering dark blue in Arthur's mind's eye. Even his cat Elizabeth's energy could be felt drifting downstairs. Arthur sighed and opened his eyes, coming back to himself as the eggs sizzled. By the time they were done, Allistier was downstairs.

"Here." Arthur stated and handed his brother a plate before scooping his own food out and sitting at the table. He got up again to go pour some tea as an after-thought.

Allistier looked mildly impressed and also suspicious. "Eh? What's this all about here? What do ye want?"

Arthur rolled his eyes, caught. "I made you breakfast. Take me to school with you."

Allistier barked out a laugh and sat at the table to light up a fag, inhaling and exhaling the smoke before taking a bite of the somewhat charred eggs. "Ha! And if I say no?"

"You can't!" Arthur protested.

"Fuck you, I can't. I don't have to do anything for you except provide a fucking house. Charitable to buy yeh food to eat!" So those were the conditions his parents had given Allistier upon bringing Arthur here. At least they had cared enough to instruct him in that much. Still, it pissed him off.

"Whatever!" Arthur finished his eggs and stormed upstairs to prepare himself for the day in the bathroom. He had to fix his wild hair –which unfortunately he could never make as tidy as he wished it to be and wondered why again he didn't just cut it- from the night and to brush his teeth finally. When he had finished in the wash room he went back to his bedroom to put on his socks and shoes and grab his stones for the day. Jeanne greeted him with a tiny yawn, which raised Arthur's mood a small bit. But the dark cloud didn't go away.

He was just making his way out the door when he heard a loud honk. He started and turned his head to discover Allistier leaning across the seat to call out of the open window. "Get yer arse in. We're going to be late!" Arthur blinked once in surprised before he huffed, annoyed. Nevertheless he wasn't one to pass up a free ride when he had already missed the bus and so he climbed in next to Allistier.

"…Thanks."

"Don't mention it. Seriously." His brother responded in a grumble, not looking at him.

The two arrived at the school and quickly went their separate ways for neither wanted to be seen with the other. The fact that they were brothers had become infamous around the school and both parties hated to have any part of that attention and quickly blew off any comments about it (even though in Arthur's case none of them were really dictated at him anyway). Arthur immediately went upstairs in search of his classroom. He only had a few minutes to get there on the large campus. He swore that the place was more of a network to herd children like cattle than they were hallways. The hallways were far too small.

He entered the classroom to discover that Alfred had already taken his seat next to Arthur's –_again-_ and was turned talking to Ivan and Kiku. Ivan was smiling that rather creepy default smile he always wore that appeared to suppose to be filled with comfort when really it was too chilling for anything. Kiku looked a bit strained to be sitting next to the tall Russian –offhandedly Arthur questioned why mentally- but seemed more relaxed with Alfred there. Alfred seemed to be getting along well enough with both parties. Arthur sat down at his desk silently and gathered his homework that his brother had practically abused him to do. Fucker.

He noticed from the corner of his eye that Alfred glanced at him hesitantly. Arthur turned his head a bit further away pretending to be distracted by the words on the board from yesterday's lesson. Alfred turned away before quickly twirling to the side to fully face the British boy. "Hey Artie."

Arthur flinched and scowled at the name. "What."

Alfred appeared unaffected by the shortness of Arthur's tone. "I just wanted to know where you got that earring. It's totally badass." Arthur's hand instinctively went up to stroke the dragon. The metal scales were warm underneath his fingers; the object emitting protective energy.

"…." He didn't know if he wanted to respond. How was he to respond? It was a horrible memory that was only forced to resurface by his subconscious just last night. His hand trembled a little before he dropped it to the desk. "My grandmother gave it to me as a gift." He finally said. Alfred looked like he wanted to ask more but a sharp look from Arthur hushed him.

Ivan didn't take the hint and leaned forward to gaze at it. His pale purple eyes made Arthur want to shudder. He wondered why he felt a little nervous around the tall boy. Perhaps it was the chilly atmosphere? Arthur assumed he just wasn't used to Russians. "It's a rather pretty piece, yeah?" The Russian boy smiled. "It reminds me of Yao's house." Arthur didn't know who this 'Yao' was but Alfred and Kiku seemed to.

"Oh yeah!" Alfred agreed with a grin. "Cuz of the Chinese stuff? Totally!" Arthur left the conversation.

* * *

Finally lunch arrived. Arthur felt that for the first time he could actually breathe. He desperately needed this break from people. The energy, he noticed in this school, was suffocating. It threw him off-balance. His stones had to work desperately to keep his body stable. But at lunch he could just sit at his tree and absorb the calm nature around him.

He sat down at the tree and pulled out his tea and a small lunch that Allistier had brought him from McDonald's (probably his food had been spat in or maybe if he was lucky it was a thank you for the breakfast that morning). He dug into the bag and pulled out a chip to take a bite and then began coughing, choking on the flavour. He had been wrong on both accounts. Allistier had purposely over-salted his chips. They were practically inedible now. "Fucking bastard." He muttered, glaring. But he was hungry and needed to keep up his energy so he had to take the time to wipe off each chip before he ate it. His burger at least seemed relatively safe.

"_Ano_…" Arthur looked up in the process of cleaning off three chips to see Kiku standing above him, a box wrapped in a cloth in his hands. The cloth was printed with some strange symbol that Arthur recognized to be some type of faerie.

"Yes?" He asked.

"May I join you? It has become, ah, rambunctious in the lunch room and I would like to eat in quiet."

Arthur looked around at all of the open spaces that Kiku could easily sit at. "Must you sit with me?" He asked reluctantly.

Kiku appeared abashed. "Ah, _gomenasai!_ I did not know…I'll go somewhere else…" Arthur suddenly was struck with guilt. Kiku had done him no personal harm and yet he treated him like a disease. But it was for his protection! But Arthur was a gentleman and he couldn't be so rude to someone who was kind to him.

"N-No, it's alright. If you must, you may join me." Kiku turned back to him to search him before he nodded and sat down on the bench next to the English boy. He proceeded to untie the cloth as Arthur watched to reveal a small faded blue rectangular box. Kiku took off the lid and exposed a small meal of steamed rice with various vegetables and meats placed on top. To the side were a couple rolls of sashimi and some black beans. Arthur blinked in amazement but didn't comment. Kiku pulled out some chopsticks and muttered a phrase in Japanese under his breath before beginning to eat.

"Thank you." The boy said, turning to look at his companion. "I was developing a headache, you see."

"Is it loud in there?" He motioned with his head to the lunchroom. Kiku nodded the confirmation.

"A couple of the kids are arguing. And a whole school in a room isn't exactly quiet." Arthur chuckled a little with a nod.

"Yes, I definitely agree. It wasn't the best set up, was it?"

"I believe it is called 'cultural integration'?" Kiku pondered.

"That sounds just like an idea an American would come up with."

"Indeed." The two chuckled together and Arthur found himself relaxing. Kiku was always a quiet boy who didn't force conversation to keep going. It made Arthur comfortable. There was not any stress put on him. And he wasn't required to try to be close to the other boy.

He went back to eating his food and cleaning his chips in silence when he heard footsteps tapping gently across the sidewalk towards them. At first he ignored it for they were by a walkway but when the person stopped in front of them, he looked up. Arthur recognized Lukas easily, the boy having soft but somewhat wintry purple eyes and pale blonde hair with half of his fringe pinned back with a hairpin in the shape of a cross. His expression always seemed to be one of disinterest no matter what occurred around him. Arthur had a feeling that if the classroom caught on fire around him he would either casually go to put it out or just ignore it until it became life-threatening. He didn't know enough about Lukas to tell. Arthur shared second and third block with him.

"Hello." Lukas greeted them, sounding only slightly miffed. If Arthur wasn't so good at reading people from years of observation he wouldn't have noticed.

"Hello." Both Arthur and Kiku greeted. Lukas glanced at Arthur briefly to show that he recognized his greeting before addressing Kiku.

"Do you have your homework for Mr. Adnan's class? It seems I have 'misplaced' mine and I need to redo it." He asked. Arthur, seeing as he wasn't the one being talked to, politely went back to eating trying to ignore the conversation.

"Ah, yes. Did Mathias take it again?" Kiku asked, turning to his backpack to begin digging through it.

"I believe so." Lukas sounded slightly more annoyed. Kiku pulled out his binder before opening it to tug out a sheet of paper gently. He handed it to Lukas. "Thank you." The boy then moved to sit down on the last foot of bench left to begin copying the homework. Arthur glanced at him and then away. Lukas noticed and lifted his head to look at him. "You're Arthur Kirkland." He stated.

Arthur lifted his head to look at him too, his eyes narrowed slightly at the impassive tone. "I am."

Lukas's eyes glanced over Arthur's form fully as Kiku leaned back to allow them room to face each other. Lukas then held out his hand in front of the Japanese boy for Arthur to shake. Hesitantly Arthur did. "Lukas, from _Norge_." At Arthur's confused frown, not quite understanding, the boy clarified, "Norway."

"I see. England." Arthur responded seeing as Lukas already knew where he was from. Lukas kept staring at him before looking away and going back to his copying. Arthur felt like he had given something away that wasn't supposed to. Kiku met Arthur's look and smiled before going back to eating. Arthur did the same. Lukas bothered him slightly, his presence throwing something off in the atmosphere around him. Alarms were triggered in Arthur's head but he couldn't figure out which ones. There were too many. He warily ignored the warnings in favour of finishing his lunch silently.

When the bell buzzed for the change of class, Arthur stood and put away his thermos as the other two packed up as well. He crumpled his leftover trash into a ball to throw away. Kiku accepted his homework back and then nodded once to Arthur. "Good bye." He said before he strolled off unhurried to his next class. Arthur watched him go as he hitched his backpack onto his shoulders.

"Arthur," Lukas called and Arthur peered at him, "you have a magikal aura." Arthur froze, his body stiffening defensively. He then forced himself to relax. He couldn't allow himself to become stressed. Lukas could be joking or faking about knowing anything. Maybe he recognized the pentagram Arthur wore around his neck for the symbol of what his lifestyle was. But that wouldn't explain why he would point out Arthur's aura. That only left one option.

"You can see it, then?"

Lukas didn't make any motion except for the slightest dipping of his chin. "Yes."

"And what will you do with this knowledge?" Arthur's heart was pounding, previous memories springing to his mind.

"I'm curious about you. Would you like to come to meet another acquaintance of mine?" Arthur sensed no malintentions but his aura flared slightly anyway protectively. Lukas only blinked.

"No, thank you." Arthur stated bluntly.

Lukas watched him for a moment but didn't say anything. Finally he spoke up. "I don't plan on any harm. I'm sure you've already sensed that. I can tell you're powerful. But it is not often I meet another of such skill." Arthur blinked as a pale purple-blue aura flared up around Lukas. The cool scent of wintergreen trees –Arthur only recognized it from air freshener scents- drifted through the air. Until that moment he hadn't realized that auras had scents. He was curious to know what his was. "I merely want you to join me in a meeting of sorts. Just to talk. I want to know more about you."

Arthur turned his head away and allowed his aura to die down. He couldn't allow it to become too strong in fear of alerting anything unnecessary. He didn't know how to approach this proposition. He had been screwed over before on the case of magikal people and he didn't want to have to go through that again. On the other hand, he had a feeling that Lukas wasn't bad. And Arthur had learned to trust his gut feelings.

"…We will see." He finally responded. He needed to go to his last horrid class to finish the day quickly.

"Monday, then." Lukas said and with a nod departed before he left. Arthur wondered exactly what he was getting into and suddenly wished he had some alcohol.

* * *

**A/N: This chapter's song shall be "Rolling Boy" by (well sort of) Miku Hatsune (but I chose the boy version). Sorry it took so long. Muse, wherefore art thou? Anyway, enjoy and review!**


	5. Shadow of the Day

**Chapter 5: Shadow of the Day**

The town surrounding the World Academy –because really the school was built first with the town being built around it- was a small one compared to the places Arthur had lived previously in his short, bitter lifetime. He had lived in London for the beginning majority of his life and so (having been small at the time) the city had been very large. Still so, Cultural Heights ("appropriately" named in light of the type of students that attended the school in the center of the town) was small. The most exciting thing in the town was a small fair with the most favourite attraction being a roller coaster with one pathetic loop. Other such popular spots with the high schoolers of World Academy was an Italian coffee shop that the Vargas brothers' grandfather (nicknamed Rome for how old he was but how young and lively he still looked and acted) who had moved here along with the twins. The other spot was a large park that very well should have been classified as a national forest. Within the park there was a large renovated area that had a fairly well-constructed playground large enough to entertain even the Academy's students with its bright colours and adventure theme. Off to the right there was a gazebo where on occasion the school band, choir, or some combination of the two would play live music to entertain and receive donations to fund such activities. It was give and take –the people donated and the musical theatre played and sang more for the public.

Further back, if one would follow the right dirt trail and the directions stated by the small and often overlooked wooden sign, there was a bright and welcoming juice bar aptly named in some language nobody could actually understand. Instead the people who knew of it only called it "The Juice Bar". It was a quaint place with a couple of arcade machines in the front accompanying the juice bar itself that served soda, smoothies, milkshakes, ice cream, and a variety of fruit juices (all made fresh and right in front of you, so one knew that they were fresh and delicious) during the day and some slightly alcoholic drinks later on in the evening for people there for shows put on at the large gazebo. If one was eighteen, they were allowed to have the drink (even though legally they had to be twenty-one but the police didn't quite mind here. It was rather lax, really).

Arthur often avoided the more popular areas of Cultural Heights for obvious reasons but his discovery of The Juice Bar was one he couldn't easily pass up. On his days off he stopped by there in order to buy a smoothie –strawberry and banana was his favourite but the berry swirl was also quite delicious. On this day he got strawberry and banana- freshly made right in front of him. The woman who ran the bar was a busty woman with a bob cut hairstyle. It was pale blonde and she was very kind although Arthur personally thought she was rather emotional. She didn't seem to be too old and only seemed to be in her early twenties.

After he'd grabbed a smoothie, Arthur headed deeper into the forest. About a month ago around the time he had first moved to America Arthur had planted an herb garden far enough in the woods so that it wouldn't be trampled upon by humans. It was completely out of the way in a secluded area that took some effort to get to. Arthur had to make sure to wear boots and long pants to climb over thicket bushes and fallen trees. The further in one got, the denser the foliage became –that is until a small open area presents itself to the traveler. It wasn't a large area –it was smaller than Arthur's bedroom- but it was large enough for Arthur's herbs that need sun to have all that they needed. It also had one short tree in the middle of the field that provided the coverage needed for the more shade-loving plants.

Here was the one place where Arthur relaxed. The atmosphere was perfect for a majority of the plants that he often needed to go out and buy. Fresh herbs were much better and more powerful. Unfortunately they were a bit harder to grind but no matter. Still, Arthur had been surprised to come across these herbs. There was already some growing when he had arrived. He wondered if perhaps another witch had planted them some time ago. Nevertheless, Arthur had happily taken up the job of caring for them.

Arthur took off his shoes and socks as he entered the field, leaving them outside of the area before he entered and kneeled to look at the herbs. Some were ready to be harvested so silently he thanked both the Lord and Lady before also thanking Cernunnos before he harvested. He placed the individual herbs into different jars he had brought with him before putting them back into his pack and moving away from the garden. He took off the pack and lay down in the sunny grass and closed his eyes. He allowed his sense to spread out around him and into the earth. Arthur himself was an earth element and so how he liked to relax was by tuning himself in harmony to the nature around him. His own green energy –in his mind's eye- danced and flowed; twirling lazily with the thin, softer energy of the plants around him. He could sense the dryads –and even an Epimeliad- watching him curiously but never did they approach. Arthur sorrowfully longed for his forest friends from his last home in the hills of Wales. They were never afraid to play with him.

He inhaled slowly trying to reach the stability of his meditative state with the heat of an unknown source washed through his senses causing him to sit up in alarm. He only managed to scramble to his feet when the sound of footsteps –two, Arthur noted- crunched through the bushes and to the edge of the field. Arthur recognized them with as much surprise as the other two –or at least one- regarded him.

"Oh hey." Arthur's eyes met the burgundy ones of a boy he recognized to be Vladimir (he couldn't remember the boy's last name) from his physical education class. Vladimir had dark blonde hair that appeared to be almost light brown and had curious near-red eyes. From what Arthur had observed the boy was friendly but didn't have many friends. Arthur assumed it was for the boy's curious look. It was not the first time Arthur had seen naturally red eyes (a boy named Gilbert was albino and so his eyes were red) but Vladimir, as he smiled, had sharp canine teeth. They very nearly looked like shortened vampire fangs. The sight sent a chill up Arthur's spine, "you're the new boy everyone's talking about." Vladimir stated, somewhat surprised. Arthur's eyes narrowed some and he glowered at being referred to as "the new boy". He had been given that name far too many times.

"It's 'Arthur'." He said shortly. Vladimir's eyebrows bunched together a bit, realizing he had said something wrong. At least he understood that.

"I'm surprised to see you here." Lukas, the second member of the visitors, said catching Arthur's attention. Around Lukas's shoulder a light pink glowing –what looked to be- ball of fur with wings fluttered. Arthur didn't recognize the creature but he knew it was some type of fae.

"The feeling is mutual." Arthur wanted to scold them for appearing in his sacred area –it was where he meditated and felt safe, after all- but he sensed that the balance wasn't thrown off. The atmosphere around them –besides the excess auras- was unchanged. He noted that Lukas and Vladimir had taken off their shoes as well. Arthur appreciated that. "How did you find this place?"

"I found it a long time ago." Lukas replied, stepping forward more into the field. Arthur stiffened and the Norwegian boy stopped before lowering himself in a sitting position, his legs crossed in what Mr. Beilschmit (the physical education coach) called a "butterfly position". Vladimir joined him but instead sat in a relaxed pose, his legs stretched out and relaxing back on his hands until he was in a comfortable position. Arthur hesitated in joining them (the keyword for him being _joining_ them) but he saw that this gathering was unavoidable (and Jeanne whispering encouraging words in the back of his mind didn't help) and so he sat down on his knees resting how the Japanese did when at meetings. His grandmother had taught him to sit that way during magickal meetings.

"How long?" He asked.

"Last year." He turned his head to motion wordlessly to the garden. "I originally started planting the herbs. When the garden was being taken care of starting a month ago without my knowledge of how, I was told by a…friend of mine that it was another earth element with blonde hair." Lukas faced Arthur again. It was the most Arthur had ever heard Lukas speak at once. Arthur had never sensed another human nearby in the time he had started coming to the garden and so assumed Lukas's "friend" was one of the magickal creatures that inhabited the forest.

"However," Vladimir smiled and sat up more, "it's not too bad. The forest is happy, after all!"

Arthur's eyes regarded Vladimir questioningly. Exactly how did this boy know anything? Was he also in the Craft? Was this Lukas's "acquaintance" that he had mentioned on Friday? Lukas didn't say anything and so Arthur decided to ask, "…You know?"

"Hm?" Vladimir appeared surprised by the question. "Oh! You mean magick and stuff!" Arthur didn't appreciate the terminology of "stuff" that Vladimir used. It was much more important than that, "Sorry, Lukas mentioned you and just wow. I never paid too close attention to you in class but he's right. You're something else! I can taste your aura from here even without you activating it!"

Arthur flinched back aghast, feeling exposed and horrified. "You're a vampire?" He demanded, pausing to search for the appropriate word. He had read about such creatures –_actual_ vampires from legends of old, not the "modern day" type- and had hoped to have to never come across one.

Vladimir held up his hands in a placating manner and gave a nervous laugh. "Please, give me a chance. I am only one part Nosferatu. It is from my grandfather's side. I promised I do not hunt people. I do not even need another's aura for sustenance." Arthur didn't relax but still listened. Vladimir gave him a sad smile, sensing the tension. "I am more human than creature, Arthur. I have always been human." Arthur stared at him, his heart thudding painfully. He and Vladimir were not so different. Both were judged and haunted because of powers beyond their control or reach. And suddenly Arthur felt companionship with the other boy.

He gave a nod to Vladimir and relaxed (at least as much as he could around other people) to show his acceptance. The brief hint of a smile ghosted Lukas's lips. "So you two are the reason why my herbs are sometimes already harvested before I get here?"

"Not all are yours." Lukas replied and gently took the mysterious fluffy fae in his hand to stroke it. The creature trembled for a moment before Lukas released it and it flutter off. Arthur didn't turn his head to watch it. "It is the forest's and is free to all creatures."

Arthur flushed with embarrassment. "Of course I knew that!" He glared some as Vladimir chuckled. "You both understood me!" He accused the witches.

"We did?" Vladimir joked but calmed himself.

"What was it that you wanted to discuss on Friday, Lukas?" Arthur demanded his cheeks pink from his shame.

Lukas regarded him silently for a few moments giving Arthur a chance to calm down before the Norwegian boy spoke, "I would like you to join our club." Arthur frowned in confusion at such a peculiar request.

"A club? Why?" He asked.

"Because it is not every day you meet someone of such abilities."

"Well to be more precise," Vladimir added with a roll of his shoulders, "it is not every day we meet someone of notable ability." He blinked honest eyes at him. "You're really powerful." Arthur flushed at such a compliment and fidgeted slightly.

"Of course I am! I'm sure I surpass both of you in many magickal ways!" He bragged, unable to help his pride that every so often sprang up at the lightest of touches. The two others felt only slightly annoyed. "After all, I surely have more experience what with-" He cut himself off and immediately shut down, retiring his bloated pride in light of the heavy weight in his heart. He closed off his features so as to not expose his emotions. He had gone into too many details and he had let his mouth get away from him. His "experience" was nothing to brag about even if it wasn't only the darker part of magick he was proficient in.

Lukas and Vladimir noticed the sudden change in demeanor but one slight shake of Lukas's head stopped any questions from being asked. "We want to ask you to join our Black Magic club." Arthur immediately scowled, completely ready to reject a horrible offer when Lukas cut him off, "We do not really do black magick. It is only a title that had interested the previous student council president."

"What _do_ you do, then?" He demanded.

"We study." Lukas answered simply.

"It's a lot easier to read in a comfortable and sealed environment. You know, protected." Vladimir agreed. "We do light spells on occasion and charms but not often. We also talk about Harry Potter!" Arthur raised an eyebrow his interest tweaked. "So are you interested? I know you are. I can taste it."

Arthur didn't like the vampiric (or was it Nosferatu? Arthur would have to research it later) powers that Vladimir had. They were disturbing and –if Arthur was one who was not used to the supernatural- unnatural. He didn't know if he should trust Vladimir. He didn't even know if he wanted to trust Lukas. He didn't know what type of magick they practiced or whether they would be true to their word. But Jeanne was nodding in encouragement to him and her powers were having their effect on him, tugging at his heart and releasing familiar spores of loneliness that caused him to choke a bit. "I'll…check it out. When is the next meeting?"

"Wednesday!" Vladimir appeared to be happy and pleased with Arthur's decision. The three stood together. Lukas held out his hand to Arthur.

"May we have a bottle of what was harvested? We need to restock some and I can tell you've harvested." He glanced at the garden. Arthur somewhat unwillingly walked over to his bag and pulled out a bottle to hand to Lukas, who took it with a thankful nod. "After school." He said before he and Vladimir left through the trees, stopping only to put back on their shoes. Arthur stayed only a bit longer until he finished off his smoothie and also left.

* * *

Monday approached quietly and brought with it a new school day. Arthur had to specifically carry more of his stones than usual to balance himself out. Entering the classroom early he discovered Kiku there quietly drawing in what appeared to be panels to some type of comic. Arthur was curious as to what was being drawn but decided against asking and wordlessly sat down in his typical spot. Kiku glanced up as the chair was pulled back and he smiled softly, though his eyes still appeared a bit distracted.

"_Ohayōgozaimasu._" He said with a small nod. Arthur stared at him, uncomprehending of the word. He had never studied any sort of foreign language in exception to some French and Spanish. He mostly knew English, Old English, Latin, and parts of various languages of the British Isles that he'd had to study for his learning in life of the Craft. Kiku realized that he hadn't understood and tried again. "Good morning."

"A-Ah, yes. Good morning." He hesitated, unsure if he should ask, but spoke again, "Um, what was it that you had said before?"

Kiku blinked with a small chuckle behind his hand. "_Ohayōgozaimasu."_ He repeated. "It means 'Good morning' in my language." Arthur made a mental note of the word. "You'll hear many different languages here."

Arthur nodded. "I've already come to understand that." Kiku nodded as well before going back to his drawing. Arthur felt pleased with the conversation and turned back to his own desk and started pulling out his binder and pencils. He knew that Allistier had something interesting planned for the day –although he didn't know what- and so he had to mentally prepare himself for his brother's arrival. He still wasn't happy with Allistier being his teacher, but so far the man wasn't completely horrible at teaching. Arthur was actually learning and Allistier seemed to be at least somewhat passionate about the position.

The door opened and Alfred came through along with a few other students. The American boy plopped down into his usual seat next to Arthur, much to Arthur's annoyance that he was slowly getting used to. "'Morning, Artie!" Arthur's eye twitched at the name and waited for Alfred to continue to harass him –and prepared to completely ignore him- but Alfred instead turned to Kiku and leaned on his desk. "'Morning, Keeks!"

Kiku looked up at him and smiled. "Good morning. How does this look for your idea?" He turned the paper around for Alfred to look at. Arthur found himself staring at the exchange.

Alfred studied the picture and then shook his head, pointing to one of the panels. "No man! Carson needs to dodge the attack! Not get hit! He's the hero!"

Kiku gave him a mildly frustrated look. "Alfred, we've gone over this. No hero is invincible. He must get hurt sometime."

"But a gun wouldn't work on him!" Alfred protested.

"Ah!" Kiku's eyes widened. "Yes, that's correct!" Kiku erased the gun quickly, annoyed with himself. "We already previously stated that."

Alfred nodded. "Exactly! But we can still use a gun! Maybe some type of laser gun?" Kiku nodded, sketching quickly.

"Indeed, but I do not know how to draw such a weapon."

"What are you guys discussing?" Ivan interrupted, joining them and gazing curiously at the picture. He smiled a bit.

"Hey, Ivan." Alfred greeted. "We're making a manga."

"Oh, I see!" Ivan looked thrilled by it. "And you need help with it, _Да_?" Kiku (somewhat reluctantly) and Alfred nodded.

"With a gun type." Ivan thought about it.

"Guns?" A serious green-eyed boy appeared with jaw-length blonde hair appeared next to Ivan to join the conversation as well. "I can help."

"Oh sweet, Vash! You're perfect! Here, look." Alfred pointed to the paper where Kiku was erasing whatever he drew again. "We need a laser-type gun. It can be fake but we can't think of a design."

"I am not good with drawings but a handgun would be less interesting. A design similar to an AK-47 would be good." Vash recommended.

Kiku scratched his hand a bit before shaking it out. "And in what position would you hold that?"

"Like this." Vash got into the pose. Kiku started to draw it out but Vash interrupted the drawing and got out of the pose to shake his head. "No! Not like that! The barrel is longer! No metal juts here!"

"Vash-san, I cannot draw it if you are not in position."

"But you need to draw it right!" Vash seemed determined by this.

"Then why not get another model?" Ivan suggested. Vash nodded in agreement and moved to position Ivan, when Alfred interrupted this time.

"Not Ivan! We need someone skinnier as a model!"

Ivan gave a slightly chilled smile to Alfred. "Then you will not work either."

"Ah, you two…" Kiku looked about worriedly between the two. Arthur sensed hostility between them.

"You!" Arthur jumped as Vash pointed at him. "Get up!" He commanded.

"Why the devil should I?" Arthur demanded.

"Do it! Now!" Arthur didn't want to but he was scared by Vash's military commander tone (he didn't want to make any enemies with someone who knew a lot about guns) and reluctantly climbed to his feet. Vash moved over to him and grabbed his arms, causing Arthur to flinch some. Vash gazed at him for a moment before loosening his grip some and gently moving Arthur's arms into the right position. "Spread your legs to balance yourself and turn to face the front." He said. Arthur did so. Soon enough he was standing in the same pose as Vash had been in earlier.

Kiku smiled as Arthur blushed a tiny bit in embarrassment. The few students in the classroom were watching him. He never liked being the center of attention. "Thank you, Arthur-san."

"Yeah, thanks Artie!" Alfred agreed, grinning.

"I-It's not an issue…" Arthur said. Kiku began sketching the position with Vash and Ivan both helping out by giving advice on the gun. More students started to come into the classroom as the bell came close to ringing and they stared at him as they did so. Arthur began to feel a growing sense of discomfort and came close to ditching the position as the idea of hiding his face in his arms became more appealing. But soon after Kiku thanked him again and he knew he was done so he dropped his arms. Allistier came in right then as the final bell rang and Arthur thanked the Goddess above that his brother hadn't seen him posing.

"Sit down!" Allistier commanded the class as he threw his folder of graded work onto the desk before turning to the board to change the date. "I've got ta give out yer project."

"Aw, seriously?" One of the class whined. "So early in the year?"

"Yer a senior! Shut up." Allistier barked and turned back to the class. "It's a long one that you'll have until Christmas break to do." The class groaned. "And it's a group assignment." Only a portioned groaned this time. Arthur's mood soured quickly and he glared at Allistier. This was not good. "And I'll choose your partners." The class groaned again. Arthur scowled.

"Do we have to do this?" Someone asked. Arthur didn't see who nor didn't he really care.

"Yes! Now stop yer whining!" Allistier's scowl reflected Arthur's. Arthur saw Alfred glance at him from the corner of his eye before looking back at the teacher and then back at Arthur before smothering a laugh. Apparently he had seen the mirrored looks. "I don't have a choice in the matter. Blame the school curriculum." Allistier cleared his throat and then picked out a sheet of paper from his pocket and unfolded it to read in a rather monotonous voice the directions for the history assignment. It contained researching various religions in different regions a paper with specific categories included into it. Each of the three (apparently there would be three) partners each must write on a separate religion but the religions but coincide with each other.

Arthur officially hated this class. "Why can't we choose our own partners?" Alfred asked without raising his hands. "I mean, we can practically do it on our own anyway."

"Because it's a damn group assignment. I put you into groups at random. Yer with Elizaveta and Ivan." Alfred groaned slightly but he turned to Elizaveta and gave her a thumbs up. Elizaveta smiled back with a nod. Allistier began giving out the other groups before he turned to Arthur with a malicious grin. "And you, my wee little brother, will be with Kiku and Vash. Have fun."

Arthur didn't particularly mind the group he was given. Vash seemed alright and he was fine with Kiku. However, Arthur still hated his brother. No doubt this was planned to get Arthur's secrets out. Religion _and _group projects? His brother was scheming. "Fuck. You." He growled to Allistier.

"Not likely." Allistier responded and turned to grab the graded papers. "Get into yer groups while I pass this shite out." Arthur moved his chair to face Kiku, still scowling. Vash got up to join them.

"I'm sorry." Kiku said quietly to Arthur, looking down repentantly. Arthur blinked and stopped scowling before becoming flustered.

"Oh, please don't be." He glanced at Vash and the Kiku before turning his head away some, finding the bottom of the wall suddenly interesting. "I'm not mad at either of you. It's only Allistier…"

"He likes to tease you." Vash stated.

"That's an understatement." Arthur muttered before he sighed and looked back at his partners. This could work, he decided. Kiku, he knew, was smart and he found no real fault in Vash as of yet. Perhaps this would go well. Besides, at least he hadn't been paired up with that blasted Alfred.

"Hey guys!" Arthur wondered if he had thought too soon as Alfred spun in his chair to face Kiku's group. "I just came up with a great idea! Let's all work together! It'll be fun." Arthur was sure their ideas of "fun" differed greatly.

"Oh, yes!" Elizaveta chimed in. "Let's do that!"

"Fine." Vash said. Kiku glanced at Arthur. Arthur glared silently at the table.

"Ah…maybe we shouldn't…" Kiku said hesitantly and Arthur looked at him.

"Come on, Kiku! It'll be fun!" Alfred pushed.

"Yes, Kiku." Elizaveta gave Kiku an indefinable look. "Think of the…_work_ we could get done if our groups worked together!"

Kiku looked at Arthur again before he gave in. "Alright, then." Alfred cheered with Elizaveta. "I'm sorry." Kiku murmured under his breath to Arthur. Arthur sighed but shook his head to dismiss the apology. The fates had it out for him. He had terrible luck. He hated karma. Still, he felt touched that Kiku had tried.

As the groups joined and began discussing religions, Allistier approached and put down a stack of paper for the group in front of Arthur. Arthur glared at him and saw Allistier's pleased smirk. "I hate you." Arthur mouthed to him.

"The feeling is mutual." Allistier said and left the group.

* * *

**A/N: Hello again! This chapter's song is called, "Shadow of the Day" by Linkin Park!**

**To all of those who guessed it, yup! There will be Magick Trio throughout this story! How could I have a magickal story without those three? XD Also, I'm trying to incorporate a lot of the other Hetalia characters into this story. Usually I only write a specific group of characters and those are the ones I'm best at. So now I'll try to incorporate a lot more. If they start to go OOC please inform me. I'll try my best!**

**Also, I just wanted to add that Ivan is **_**not**_** insane right now. He's just a normal kid so his smiles are actually smiles that are just slightly creepy. Alfred and Kiku just don't like Ivan all that much.**

**I'm doing a lot of research for certain things in here. ;D I don't want it to be a clichéd story. Tell me how I'm doing!**

**REVIEW PLEASE!**


	6. Careful

**Chapter 5: Careful**

The rest of Monday was uneventful, luckily, so Arthur needn't have to worry for the rest of that day. Tuesday, however, proved to be rather uneventful as well. In Allistier's class Arthur, Vash, and Kiku got together to plan what religions they would do. Arthur purposely ignored Alfred's attempts and in this case Kiku and Vash agreed with him. "We'll work together once the planning is done!" Vash had snapped, also getting tired that Alfred was just yammering on and wasn't doing any work. "Stop bothering us!"

Alfred had pouted. "Jeez, such a spoil-sport!" He whined.

"Al, let's get back to work." Elizaveta had suggested with a small encouraging smile. Alfred nodded and Arthur was surprised to see that Alfred could actually work without going off onto some random tangent.

Arthur honestly hated the project that they were doing. He wasn't interested in a majority of the major religions there were to choose from. The only one he would've loved to write a report about was his own religion but he didn't want to do so. He knew plenty enough to fulfill the requirements of the paper but he didn't need the class finding out about his own personal beliefs. While it wasn't a secretive religion, people like himself preferred to keep such knowledge to themselves. Instead he went with the default of Protestant. Tuesday's class was spent deciding how they wanted to set up their report to turn it in. Arthur and Alfred's group never came up with a date to meet up and work together on the actual project itself but Arthur wanted no part in the planning. He would do his work but he wanted as little interaction as possible with the groups.

Wednesday approached and with it the sudden discovery that Vladimir and Arthur shared P.E. together. It had happened while Arthur was getting changed as quickly as he could before Alfred could arrive. Ever since that first day Arthur always rushed from lunch in order to get dressed. He didn't want another confrontation with Alfred like the last time but neither boy had brought up the experience. Arthur preferred it that way. Alfred arrived in the middle of Arthur's changing but he only greeted him but didn't stare at him as Arthur had suspected that he would do. Alfred pulled off his shirt and began to change just as Arthur sat down to pull his shoes back on after dressing in his gym uniform.

Arthur stood up and stared into his locker where he was leaving his stones and took a deep breath as a chill went down his spine. He glanced left and then right without moving his head before he glanced up. Seeing nothing he allowed his senses to go out a bit. His mind began to spin with all of the conflicting auras about him and tried to focus in on the unnerving one. Instead he touched Alfred's and he started, staring suddenly at the American. Alfred had a strong aura that was stronger than most other humans'. Arthur sensed that there wasn't any magickal ability but nonetheless Alfred was a strong individual. His aura was warm and Arthur hesitated briefly before he allowed himself to indulge in the aura of the other boy, curious to discover more. If there was one fault in Arthur's life it was that he was too curious sometimes.

His aura was warm and comforting, surprisingly. Arthur knew immediately that at heart Alfred was not a bad guy. He didn't seem to be able to completely hurt someone. He pushed a bit farther to find out more when Alfred's head lifted and he sniffed the air. "Huh." He mumbled out loud, "Where's that smell coming from?" Arthur couldn't smell anything different about the locker room. Alfred apparently found it curious enough to investigate and he looked at Arthur. "Do you smell that?"

Arthur started enough to completely retract his probe and quickly shake his head. "It only smells like the locker room." He said.

"Really? I thought I smelled-" He was cut off as Arthur's name was called loudly and both boys turned to see Vladimir appear from around the lockers and look at him.

"I thought you were here!" The Nosferatu called and approached him. "You're done changing? Let's go then!" He motioned for him to follow with a glint in his eye. Arthur felt the need to follow his command and closed his locker and locked it before following after him out into the gymnasium. "What were you doing?" He murmured a bit to Arthur as they headed towards the bleachers. "I could taste you."

Arthur made a small face. The thought of Vladimir able to taste his aura unnerved him greatly and caused him to move away from him some. He still didn't fully trust either of the members of the "Black Magic Club" but he was even more wary about someone who could potentially drink his energy. He touched his dragon earring and felt more protected as he glanced at his classmate. "I was sensing my surroundings."

"You were giving off a lot of energy, though." His red eyes gazed meaningfully at Arthur's. Arthur had to look away.

"It's none of your concern. I won't do it again." Although he was tempted to. He was suddenly insatiably curious about Alfred Jones. He hadn't felt such a comforting aura since his grandmother. It made him want to feel it more. He sighed silently and the two climbed onto the bleachers and up to the top corner. "Since when have you had this class?"

"I was transferred in on Monday. They were still doing schedule changes." Vladimir explained. "Why are we sitting up here?"

"_I'm_ sitting up here to stay away from the others." Arthur stated pointedly.

"Why?" Vladimir asked.

"Because I do not want to get close to anybody." He glared a little at Vladimir. "That includes you." Vladimir stood up with a shrug.

"If that's what you want. I'll go sit with a few of my other friends." Arthur's heart thudded with the echo of loneliness knowing that Vladimir had others he could be hanging out with. He turned his head away. "But you could join us. They're not that bad."

Arthur shook his head. "I'm fine." He said quietly.

"…Okay. Are you still coming to the meeting?" Arthur looked up at him and saw the hopeful look in his eyes. He hadn't planned on skipping the meeting. He was curious to see exactly what the other two witches did.

"Yes."

"Alright! I'll see you after school then! I'll take you there." Arthur reluctantly agreed to this as well considering he didn't know where the meeting would be held. Vladimir left then to join another boy further down the bleachers that Arthur recognized to be the Bulgarian boy from his third block. Arthur people watched for a few moments waiting for their gym teacher to come talk to them. Alfred and his gang were sitting a little closer to Arthur's spot than they were last week and it caused Arthur to hear their laughter and some of their talk. He turned his head away to watch some of the other teenagers and tried to remember what it was like to sit with other people. He tried to remember actually happily talking to someone without hardly any restrictions.

He couldn't remember that time at all.

* * *

Vladimir grabbed Arthur after the two had changed and led the way up to the third floor and into a teacher's lounge. "Are we supposed to be here?" Arthur questioned out loud, knowing that such places were usually off-limits.

"Don't worry; we're just passing through." Vladimir promised and he walked over to a door in the back corner of the room. From his pocket he removed an old key and kicked off his shoes. Arthur did so as well, knowing that it was respectful and deciding to follow the club's rules. He also pulled off his socks as he saw Vladimir do before the boy unlocked the door and allowed Arthur in.

The room was about the size of Arthur's bedroom –which meant that it was half the size of a normal classroom. To make up for the lack of space, it was well-furnished. In the middle of the room was a large circular maroon rug that took up the full middle space. Against the wall opposite of the door there was a large bookshelf half filled with different tomes as well as smaller books. From the few largely-printed titles Arthur could tell they were books about various magicks. He wanted to look through each one. The books seemed to be separated from each other. In the top left hand corner of the room there was a round table that had a few open books on it as well as four chairs. The top right hand corner had three beanbag chairs and a rocking chair no doubt meant for comfort. There were even some pillows on the floor nearby. Arthur turned his head to peek over to a highly decorated corner with a wide oval table there. Arthur could immediately tell that this was the altar, what with the silver and gold candles as well as various other trinkets meant for doing rituals and spells. Nearby the alter were two shelves similar to Arthur's own shelf in his bedroom that held essential oils, incense, and herbs. The air was warm and thick with different scents.

Arthur instantly felt relaxed. This, he decided, was a good place. It made him feel better knowing that there really _wasn't_ any dark magick going on in the room. He would've been able to tell right away from his past experiences.

Vladimir led the way into the room and placed his backpack down on the table before beginning to gather the books left there. Arthur also placed his backpack on the table as the other boy put the books away. He gazed around in wonder, amazed by the room. The dark carpet created a balance with the pale blue wall. While the colours themselves were soothing, the atmosphere of the room itself washed over Arthur in almost sensual waves. It aroused feelings of security in his heart and for the first time in a while Arthur felt relaxed and unguarded in an area other than his bedroom or the forest garden.

"What do you think?" Arthur blinked himself out of his mesmerized state to address Vladimir, who was watching him with curious eyes.

"It's hot in here." Arthur complained instead of admitting his true feelings about the wondrous place.

"I'll turn on a fan." Vladimir agreed and went over to a small closet to pull out a twelve-inch fan and plug it in to turn on. The fan didn't do much but churn the stuffy air, however. Arthur was unhappy but could shrug it off. The room was stuffier because of the presence of magick more than the temperature. Arthur knew that after a few minutes he would grow accustomed to the sensation of the room. "I will show you around," Vladimir stated when his task was done, "as we wait for Lukas to show up." The boy smiled and flashed his sharp teeth and in the dim light of the room Arthur suddenly wondered if he should be worried. He would need to stay on guard and not let the atmosphere of the room intoxicate him.

"When will…" Arthur hesitated to call Lukas by his first name, wanting to remain distanced from the boys through the use of aloofness and formality, but he did not know the Norwegian boy's last name, "…he arrive?"

"He is across campus so he takes the longest to arrive, if he does not stop to play with Cosmo."

"'Cosmo'?"

"A fae he is friends with that lives on campus."

"Oh."

"You two are quite lucky." Vladimir commented as he motioned for Arthur to join him next to the bookshelf. Arthur made his way over carefully, "You two can see magickal creatures. I can only sense them. I wish I had the Sight."

"It's not as amazing as you may think." Arthur replied as he glanced over the titles of the books. A majority of the books were ones that Arthur had often seen at bookstores –some titles of which he owned himself- but there were also a few in languages other than English. He recognized a singular one as Latin but he didn't recognize the other languages.

"So I've been told, but one would think with blood such as mine that I would be able to see the creatures of the land not visible to ignorant humans." Vladimir mused. Arthur gave him a sidelong glance and didn't respond. He partially agreed with Vladimir. "Anyhow, this bookshelf contains both mine and Lukas's books based around magick. We keep our books separate but we read each others'." Vladimir indicated to which shelves were his and which Lukas's were. "You're allowed to bring in your own books if you want or you don't have to. They're really reference tools, after all." Arthur frowned, unsure if he wanted to bring in any of his own books. But if he really did join the club –not that he was saying he was, of course!- then he would feel the need to contribute in some way. He would have to read a few of the books later to see what tomes were missing that maybe he could add to.

"What languages are these?" Arthur asked, pointed to one that was on Lukas's shelf.

"I do not recall what Lukas told me but I believe it may be Kven. I'm not entirely sure. This one," Vladimir pointed to one of his own tomes that were in a language Arthur didn't understand, "is Romani. It is a minor language of mine. This one over here is Latin-"

"Yes, I recognized that one. I can read it fluently." Vladimir appeared impressed.

"Did that take you long? Perhaps you can help me with it sometime because there are portions of this book I cannot understand well enough." Arthur felt a bit flattered to be relied upon and glanced at the book. He did not own it so he agreed. It would be nice to read a new book. Vladimir thanked him and began to give him the tour of the rest of the room. He told Arthur about the altar of the room and explained how the group used it for spell-casting when in the circle in the middle of the room. The rug itself was only there to mark a border. Arthur was allowed to also bring whatever tools he sees necessary for when they were working with magick but he was not required to leave them in the room. "Because when you want to do your work at home." He explained.

"The room is safe." Arthur started at the sudden other presence in the room and turned to see Lukas walking over to put his backpack onto the back table. "Vladimir and I are the only ones with keys to this room." His bare feet padded lightly on the carpet. "If you decide to join, we will get you your own."

"What about the skeleton key?" Arthur questioned, knowing that school janitors and such had keys to each room in the school. Why would this one be an exception?

"We kind of stole it," Vladimir chuckled a bit, a hint of a devious side under-toned in it, "to keep the room as a sacred place."

"I see."

"So what would you like to do?" Arthur knew what he was being asked.

"I do not know." He turned to the bookshelf. "I want time to read and see if I feel comfortable enough here." Although, Arthur already knew he felt comfortable enough with the room; it was the other club members he was unsure of.

"That's fine." Lukas stated and moved over to the bookshelf to grab a book and move towards the beanbags. Vladimir followed after him and motioned for Arthur to approach as well. The British boy did after a moment's hesitation.

"So we are looking through the books in order to discover what we shall do for the next sabbet." Vladimir informed him.

"That is not until October, though. You do not even know how to celebrate it?" He asked, unimpressed.

"We do. Only we do not know how to celebrate it with others. It is our first holiday we are celebrating as a group." Vladimir smiled. "We were going to do a Circle."

"Simple enough." Arthur sniffed. He had seen his grandmother create a Circle with her coven many times and had been invited to join her. He knew how to celebrate each holiday. "I could teach you how I do them."

That was how the rest of Arthur's meeting with the group went. They discussed plans for the future before they threw themselves into the books around the room. Arthur helped Vladimir reading the book and was fascinated by some of the stories that the tome told. He found himself engaging with Vladimir and even Lukas to a great extent, his love for all things magickal causing him to break through his self-enforced shell. He didn't notice Jeanne's pleased looks and her kind smile as she watched the interactions between the boys. Neither Lukas nor Vladimir acted harmful to Arthur and treated him as if they were already close friends. They began to even plan when they would have their first circle together. While most of the time it consisted of thirteen members, three would be enough considering the power of three in the magickal world.

The day quickly burned away and before Arthur knew it the sun was setting. He peeked outside through the curtains at the burning ball as it lowered on the horizon and shadowed the town, causing the atmosphere outside to feel cozy and pleasant. His eyelids lowered slightly, the calm overcoming him, and soaked up the feeling before turning to Lukas, who was sitting next to him on a beanbag chair. "What time is it?" He asked, not knowing the exact time.

Lukas glanced outside briefly before going back to reading his book. "Nearing six." He stated.

"What time do these meetings usually end?"

"Usually? Before nightfall."

"We can leave whenever now." Vladimir said from over by the altar. He had been preparing a small charm to use for some purpose in his life. He hadn't stated what. From the ingredients Arthur could smell wafting through the air it may have been a love charm of sorts. He stood up and put aside the charm in order to go grab his stuff. Arthur joined him, picking up his backpack. After a few more moments, Lukas closed his book and returned it to the shelf before also picking up his baggage. The group didn't speak to each other as they walked through the silent hallways of the empty school. Most of the time students tended to find empty schools rather creepy considering they were used to almost constant noise and the presence of other students around them when at the school. Arthur liked this type of atmosphere, however. It was twilight which meant the magickal beings were beginning to play. He could spot flashes of little lights from the corners of his eyes and hear very faintly talking. Sometimes he could even smell the dirt of a tree nymph (probably from the school grounds and visiting a friend somewhere inside the school).

The trio exited the school and stood together at the gate. "Do you need a ride?" Lukas asked Arthur. Arthur contemplated going with him for a moment before he shook his head. He liked being alone and going for walks. He knew his way home from there, having already memorized the path his bus took. Lukas nodded.

"We will see you next Wednesday for the meeting?" Vladimir asked, although Arthur felt like the choice to join the group had already been finalized.

"I will bring a few of my spare books." He did not have a bookshelf for them anyhow.

"Then we will make you a key." The three exchanged goodbyes before they each went their ways. Arthur smiled a bit to himself, feeling fulfilled.

* * *

The next day after school Arthur found himself alone in his bedroom with soft music playing. Allistier was downstairs and keeping to himself in the study grading papers. Arthur knew that he was grading papers because when he had gone down earlier to prepare himself some tea, the scent of fag smoke was filling the air and oftentimes Arthur heard curses from the study. But now Arthur was back in his bedroom and was quite happy to be alone. All alone he had set up a small circle and had a small altar in front of him. He needed to refresh the spell he had cast around himself in order to ward off evil and empower joy to enter his life. He had with him cinnamon incense, his obsidian crystal point, his evil eye stone, and various other trinkets meant to invoke and complete his spell.

His body was relaxed and he felt the gentle thrum of his own energy around him. His aura was small –purposely- and felt similar to that of a flame. It was only a little warmer than the area already around Arthur in his bedroom and it was feather-soft in its touches against his skin. He could feel the strengths of the elements he called on in order to help in his spell, making him breathe deeply to inhale the prosperity it brought with it. He breathed out slowly and gently as under his breath he uttered the words familiar to his tongue in the Gaelic language. His energy mixed with the spirits around him and swirled, causing his hair to move lightly. As the spell came to its end, Arthur's body felt lighter and the dragon earcuff he wore seemed slightly heavier as another spell was added to it and Arthur's body.

He was just beginning to thank the elements and dismiss them when a loud knock on his door caused him to jump. "Ye got company!" Allistier called in.

"_What_?" Arthur replied back not sure if he had heard his brother correctly.

"Hey Artie!" Arthur internally groaned, recognizing Alfred's voice. "We came to work on the project with you!" Arthur cursed under his breath and hurried to dismiss the circle correctly and rushed to put away his items. His hatred for Allistier once again spiked. Why had he let them in? He didn't want anybody in his room at all! But here they were anyhow. Arthur barely managed to put everything away safely –his feeling of inner peace gone as quickly as it had come- when the door opened and Alfred, Elizaveta, Kiku, Ivan, and Vash all walked in. Kiku murmured a small, "Pardon our intrusion," as they entered. Allistier stood outside of the door watching Arthur with a small satisfied smirk on his face.

"Who the bloody hell invited you lot over?" Arthur demanded, angry that his spell had nearly been ruined. "Who told you where my house was?"

Kiku, Elizaveta, and Vash appeared slightly upset and sorry for making Arthur angry and Ivan blinked at Arthur's sudden anger. "We were invited by your brother." He stated, pointing at Allistier. Arthur's blistering glare immediately directed itself to Allistier, wondering if he knew a spell that could light the man on fire.

"_Why_?" He hissed.

"Ye have a project ye need to work on." His brother explained, his smirk widening at Arthur's anger.

"I'll kill you one day." He growled at him.

Allistier's demeanor suddenly changed, his face becoming serious and his previously position of leaning against the wall opposite of Arthur's door altering instead to him standing up straight. His green eyes flashed warningly –but there was a hint of fear underneath of it that chilled Arthur so much more- at him. "No, you won't."

A flash of cold rushed down Arthur's spine and his anger disappeared with its arrival. Realizing what he had said and hating himself for it, he lowered his head a little. "No…I won't." He swore to himself. Allistier gave him one last long look before he disappeared down the hallway to go back to grading. The rest of the students appeared uncomfortable with what had transpired between the brothers, unsure of what to think or say. An awkward atmosphere clung to the room.

Finally Alfred cleared his throat and they all began to move slowly. In the middle of the room the group started pulling out laptops (practically a requirement when you go to a school overseas) and starting them up. Arthur watched them do so for a few moments before he went over to his desk and grabbed his own computer. Once they were all situated and had gotten the password to Arthur's internet and such, they began to discuss what they were finally going to do. Arthur didn't like having so many people in his room. He hardly even liked most of them. Most of all his head was swirling with the energy around him. His body, only just finished with a spell, was still sensitive to the area around him. Energy swirled and dilated and fluctuated with the talk as well as the emotions of the people in the room. Arthur could effortlessly read them even though he didn't want to.

Kiku, he realized, was rather studious and often became exasperated with Alfred's ideas. Nonetheless the boy still like him and was willing to help him with any questions he had. He seemed to be the most hard-working of the group. Elizaveta kept expecting something (the excited trill in his energy levels was enough to alert Arthur to that) but what it was he couldn't tell. He had a feeling it had to do with himself, though. Vash was rather no-nonsense when it came to playing around. While he didn't care for work, he took it seriously and didn't appreciate too much joking. He was fine with some, though, and even awkwardly joined in once in a while when he could. Ivan seemed thrilled to be part of the group, not talking much but interjecting smart ideas. He seemed to have issues working the internet but once he was where he needed to go, he easily picked up the pieces he needed to in order to make the project a success. Arthur admired him for that, but at the same time he still kept his distance. Ivan's aura made him a little unnerved but for what reason he was unsure. He wondered if perhaps the boy had some sort of mental problem. Those tended to affect auras. The most overwhelming aura was without a doubt Alfred's though. It was like a ball of fiery water –because from what Arthur could tell he was a water sign and really that just about made all of his wild emotions much easier to understand- and flared around just about everyone. A part of Arthur burned from the touch but a larger part was drawn to it almost like a moth to a flame. Something resonated within that aura that just seemed to draw everybody to him. While Alfred could easily make someone hate him, at the same time Arthur could tell nobody could completely stay away from him. It was no wonder he knew everyone.

With these discoveries in mind, Arthur's sensitivity to the auras around him faded to the usual dull undertone in his mind and he concentrated on his work. He was starting to actually get used to everyone as well. Once or twice he found himself smirking as Alfred was insulted but the other boy never took it to heart and usually got his payback.

"Kirkland-san," Arthur looked over from where Ivan and Alfred were bickering passive-aggressively with each other to where Kiku was sitting, "it has been bothering me a bit, but is this smell the scent of sage?"

Arthur was mildly surprised. "You recognize it?" He had cleansed his room before doing his spell. Kiku nodded once.

"I cook with it on occasion. It is quite strong."

"Yes, I do agree with that."

"Sage? I had assumed it was marijuana." Vash said, surprising everyone. They looked at him and he pinked a bit, not liking being the center of attention in such a way.

"Whoa, man. You smoked?" Alfred asked, shocked.

"I didn't think you did!" Elizaveta commented.

"O-Only back in my country!" Vash said quickly.

"Isn't it illegal there?" Arthur asked. Vash only muttered under his breath. Everyone laughed at it, the surprise causing the situation to become funnier. Arthur didn't laugh but he did chuckle a little under his breath. The day wore on and soon night fell. Alfred startled everyone as his phone went off with a loud "Let's go to Canada~!" Arthur looked at him, bewildered.

"Yeah, Matt?" Alfred asked, answering his phone. Suddenly the ringtone made sense to Arthur. "Oh shit, really? Damn, I didn't realize it had gotten so late." Alfred looked at Arthur's clock and closed his computer, standing. "Okay, yeah. I'm on my way back now." He hung up then and smiled at everyone. "Hey, I gotta go back to the dorm. Anybody else coming?"

"I will." Vash said and he stood as well, closing his laptop and gathering his books to put away. Alfred put away his laptop and threw it over his shoulder as one by one the others agreed to also walk back with him. After all, a majority of the students lived on a separate dorm campus nearby the school. Kiku was the only one that didn't decide to leave just yet but was still packing up. The two of them walked the rest of the group to the door.

"This has been fun!" Ivan said with a smile that still kind of unnerved Arthur slightly.

"Yes, it has." Elizaveta turned to Arthur and gave him a quick hug, startling the boy. "It has been fun hanging out with you. I hope to do it again soon!"

"W-Well, we have to meet for the project, don't we?" Arthur couldn't help his stutter, not used to physical affection anymore.

"Yeah! Hey why don't we meet at your sister's place tomorrow, Ivan?" Alfred called to the Russian boy. "You know, the Juice Bar?" Arthur was rather surprised that they even knew about the Juice Bar. He supposed though that she had to have a decent amount of customers to keep her shop going. That was Ivan's sister?

"Yes, let's. Yekaterina is always looking for customers."

"Alright then! You know where to go, Artie?" Arthur nodded numbly, purposely ignoring his nickname (he had given up on correcting Alfred over the course of the hours they had been there). "Great! Alright, tomorrow then after school! See you around!" Alfred turned and he and everyone but Arthur and Kiku walked down the driveway towards a grey van. It appeared to be Ivan's by the way he climbed into the driver's side. Arthur and Kiku waved as they drove off before Arthur turned to Kiku.

"Are you not leaving as well?"

"I am, but I merely needed to discuss something with_ sensei_." Kiku responded. After a moment and realizing that Arthur didn't know what that word meant he said, "Our teacher."

"Oh. I see. Well follow the smoke and you'll find him." Kiku nodded before he went off in search of Allistier. Arthur sighed and closed the door to the house and gazed at the moon –or lack thereof. It was a new moon that night. He wondered if he was receiving a sign.

* * *

**A/N: Wow, it's been too long since I've updated. This thing has been floating around on my agenda and half-finished on my computer for a while now. But here it is!**

**This chapter's theme is Careful by Paramore. Basically the song is Arthur singing to other but mostly to himself. See if you can connect the dots.**

**Do I smell friendship?**

**REVIEW!**

Mini Bonus:  
Arthur often has nightmares. One of the nightmares is the song 'Hide and Seek' by SeeU if you wanna know. ;D


	7. Imagination Forest

**Chapter 6: Imagination Forest**

Friday afternoon Arthur made sure to take his time walking to the Juice Bar so that he could have time to enjoy the open air and the relaxing environment. The day was warm and the air thick because of a nearby lake that brought humidity unto the forest. Arthur didn't particularly like the feeling of his uniform clinging to his skin and contemplated running home to change first but decided that he didn't have enough time. With all of the joking around that they had done the day before (despite the serious characters of the group) they had not even gotten half of the project done. It was due on Monday and Arthur did not want to spend his weekend grouping up with Alfred and his rowdy bunch of friends.

Arthur made his way to the Juice Bar. The outside of it was a pink-purple colour with a dark plum coloured roof. The sign for the bar was on top of the roof and was written in its strange language that Arthur still didn't understand. He could only assume that it was Russian considering the nice woman (Arthur had already forgotten her name) who ran the place was Ivan's sister. A few white lights hung around the door and windows despite it not being near Christmas time. The door was painted the same color as the roof. Arthur entered the bar. Inside he found Ivan already sitting there chatting in his native language to his sister. Personally Arthur didn't think the two looked anything alike, but if Ivan said that they were siblings then he would trust that. Off in the game corner two Alfreds –_No, Matthew and Alfred. They're twins._ Arthur had to remind himself- were going at it on a pinball machine. Alfred was hooting and laughing calling out loudly while Matthew responded in a decent tone of voice.

"Excuse us." Arthur started and stepped out of the door way as Elizaveta, Vash, and a younger girl who looked to be the twin of Vash stepped through. The younger girl –not one Arthur had seen around in his classes- had the same hairstyle and colour of hair as Vash and wore the school uniform still. She had a small purple ribbon on the side of her hair adding to her cute charm and helping to differentiate her from Vash. Vash seemed to be in protective mode as he held the girl's hand and glared slightly at Arthur for looking too long at her.

"Arthur, you're here! Come look!" Elizaveta gently tugged the girl away from Vash. "This is Lili!"

"A-Ah, um, h-hello." Lili said in a soft voice and curtsied. Arthur, feeling like he had to, bowed a bit back out of politeness.

"Hello." He responded, feeling a bit awkward that he was being introduced to someone. "I am Arthur."

"I'm Lili." The girl smiled a bit at him. Arthur couldn't help but feel a bit charmed by the cute girl. Vash sidled a little in between Lili and Arthur. Arthur wondered why.

Elizaveta giggled a little. "She's Vash's younger sister."

"Ah, well, adopted." Lili corrected.

"So you are a junior?" Arthur asked. The girl nodded.

"I'm from Liechtenstein."

_Such a tiny country. I didn't realize they had people here._ Arthur thought to himself. "I am from England."

"A pleasure to meet you."

"The pleasure is mine."

With formalities out of the way, Vash led his sister over to the bar and asked her what she would like. Arthur assumed that Vash was a protective older sibling. It was rather amazing but at the same time he could tell that Vash had that type of personality, so in a sense it wasn't all that surprising. Elizaveta moved over towards where Alfred and Matthew were playing. Arthur was sure that if Alfred wasn't so concentrated on the game he would've ran over to greet Arthur. Instead the English boy moved to a table and began to set up his computer and plug it in –he was glad there was free wifi there- before he moved to the bar to also order. Ivan's sister was humming a song to herself as she blended some smoothies so Arthur waited for her to be done.

"Did you see Kiku?" He asked Vash.

The Swiss boy shook his head. "He lives farther than us. It may take him a bit to get here."

"I see." Arthur turned his head to gaze out of the window, rather bored. The sound of the talking dulled down as he closed his eyes and pictured himself alone. He didn't particularly like large groups and what with them being a cramped space (or small building, whatever) it was starting to dig at his inner energy. There was too much and on top of that he knew more people were coming. He would have to go outside every once in a while, he knew. He turned his head as he heard Alfred cry out in success and throw his hands in the air. His aura flared with excitement and Arthur's whole body was bomb-rushed with it. He gasped and quickly hopped off of his stool to walk outside, his head spinning and his body longing to go back and get closer to the American boy in order to absorb the feeling more.

_Bloody hell._ Arthur thought even as his stones kicked in to absorb the blow. _His aura is amazing and out of control._ He didn't understand how Alfred could give off so much energy at once and not be completely exhausted every day because of it. Just that bit of excitement sent it flaring. He would need to be more careful around Alfred just in case. He needed a clear head at all times.

"Are you alright?" Arthur lifted his head to see Kiku gazing at him slightly worried. Arthur sighed, allowing waves of Kiku's gentle aura calm his mind before he pulled himself back to his normal state. From what he could tell, every one of the students at the World Academy was strong. Maybe this is why they were chosen to go to such a school? Arthur felt unfortunate for having to be part of that.

"Yes, I'm fine. I was only thrown for a bit of a tizzy." He stood up fully and watched as two boys Arthur recognized but forgot the names of approached Kiku. One was a brunette with red tints and a wide smile on his face. His eyes were for the most part closed out of his excitement and he cried out Kiku's name as he ran over and hugged the boy. The second boy was taller than Arthur with slicked back blonde hair and serious light blue eyes. Arthur recalled that this was the boy he thought looked like the Physical Education coach with shorter hair.

"Kiku! You left us back there!" The brunette boy whined and bit. Kiku looked uncomfortable with the hug and quickly pulled out of it, but he still seemed fine.

"I am sorry. But you two seemed to be, ah…." He trailed off and Arthur raised a brow as the other blonde man pinked a bit and cleared his throat.

"Yes, well." He turned to Arthur. "I see you're here as well, Arthur." Arthur struggled to remember the name of his classmate and suddenly it popped into his head.

"Yes, well there are many students here, Ludwig." Arthur stated. "We're doing a project, after all."

"Ohh! Yeah the one for Mr. Mackintosh?" The brunette boy –Feliciano, Arthur's mind supplied- cut in. "I have to do that one too!"

"Is that why you've come?" Arthur asked, sounding a bit ruder than he meant to be. Ludwig frowned at him and Feliciano lost a bit of his cheerfulness.

"_Si…_" Arthur fumbled a bit, feeling bad for upsetting the other boy when he had done nothing wrong to personally harm Arthur. He quickly tried to make it up.

"W-Well you're welcome to work with us!" Feliciano smiled again at that and took Arthur's hands.

"Of course!" He then released Arthur's hands and took Ludwig's and Kiku's arms and hooked his through theirs before leading them inside. Arthur hoped briefly that nobody would mess with his computer. He took a deep breath of the surrounding area to clear his head of energy and stop the spinning. He could've put up an aura around himself to protect himself from the individual energies –namely Alfred's, what with that bastard's strong emotional flares- but he feared what he may attract if he did so. He then reentered the Juice Bar. It was distinctly louder in there now that Alfred had discovered Kiku and was talking his ear off. Arthur went over to order a smoothie.

"Oh, it is so nice to be having everyone here!" Ivan's sister smiled her eyes misty with joy. Arthur had already discovered that the woman was emotional and tended to cry. Even so her smile was always genuine. She often left Arthur wishing that he had an elder sister like her. Her kindness somewhat reminded him of his grandmother. He felt rude for not knowing her name.

"Ah," he hesitated even though he had the woman's attention. She turned towards him and Arthur immediately became conflicted about whether he wanted her to have a bra with better support or not. A quick prod from Jeanne had his mind back on task and his mouth continuing his question, "I'm terribly sorry, but I never caught your name." On top of that, she did not wear a nametag.

The woman blinked, surprised. Usually Arthur didn't converse with her much other than to order. "Oh, it is Yekaterina, but you may call me Katyusha. Or Kat is fine, yes? They are both, how to say, nicknames of mine."

"Miss Katyusha, then." Arthur agreed, glancing at her finger to discover her unmarried.

Ivan smiled at Arthur, having been listening to their conversation. "My sister does not like to be called 'Miss'. We are all of adult age, _Да_? We are eighteen, yes?" Arthur found Ivan creepy. Behind him he heard a new person enter the Juice Bar as Arthur nodded to Ivan. He looked and saw the familiar silver-blonde hair of Ludwig's albino older brother. Gilbert, Arthur had learnt from listening to conversations, was supposed to graduate last year but due to failing a core class and getting into a fist-fight with Ivan (rumor had it that Gilbert was forced to be Ivan's "maid" –in a sense- for a few weeks as punishment by his father for starting the fight) he was held back and now was in the same grade as his younger brother. The two looked vastly different and acted different too. Arthur didn't see how they were related.

He turned back to Katyusha and ordered his usual smoothie before he moved over to find Kiku. The Japanese boy was playing on his PSP with Alfred leaning over his shoulder calling out things about it and watching him intensely. Arthur shook his head but walked over to them. "Kiku?"

The Japanese boy paused his game and both he and Alfred looked up to meet Arthur. "Yes?"

"When do you suppose we get started on our projects? That was the purpose of coming here, after all." He glanced distastefully around at the full house of people. He hadn't wanted so many people to be here. He had assumed that it would just be the six of them.

"Ah! Yes, of course." Kiku took a moment to save whatever he was doing and pocketed the game system. "Is Vash-san ready?"

"Yes, he's at the bar."

"Alright." Kiku looked at Alfred. "And you?"

"I'll get them together." Alfred grinned and stood up. "We're gonna sit at that table with Artie's computer, right? Okay." He left before Arthur could correct his name or confirm where they were sitting. Arthur gave a frustrated huff and then turned back to Kiku who was giving him a soft smile. Arthur felt his skin flush a bit to see someone smiling at him so kindly. He was not used to being treated kindly just because. Usually it was only out of politeness. Those types of kindness he didn't care for.

"Wha-what is it?" He demanded.

"Alfred really likes you." Kiku stated. "He already considers you a good friend." Arthur looked firmly away at that, feeling conflicted at being told such a thing. He still didn't feel particularly close to Alfred –certainly not enough to feel like they were friends- so he didn't understand how Alfred considered him a friend. Friendship was not something that sprouted so quickly (at least not in Arthur's opinion). It took a lot of work and hardship for such things to occur. No, he was not Alfred's friend.

In the end he didn't respond to Kiku and instead moved back towards the bar to grab and pay for his smoothie before he walked to the table where his computer was. Vash and Ivan were already sitting there. Elizaveta joined a few moments later along with Kiku and Alfred. With everyone there, they set down to work. Arthur wasn't sure if he liked working at the Juice Bar or not. It was loud with all of the extra customers. On top of that, they kept interrupting the working party of students. More often than not the group didn't mind being interrupted (or at least Elizaveta, Alfred, and sometimes Kiku and Ivan weren't) but it could get frustrating easily. Gilbert and Alfred kept playing with each other and cracking jokes. Feliciano (despite Ludwig trying to keep him away because he knew that Kiku was working but it was difficult because he was trying to keep both Feliciano and Gilbert away at the same time) kept hanging all over Kiku and talking merrily with him. Kiku appeared disgruntled once in a while –like when a good train of thought was interrupted by the boy- but he usually kept in good humour with the Italian. Lili sat next to her adopted brother quietly and helped him out on occasion when the boy got stuck. She was a quiet child, Arthur discovered, and she was only a junior in high school unlike the rest of them. He thought she was rather cute.

Alfred suddenly closed his computer with a satisfied smile and a nod, causing the rest of them to look up. "Done!"

"What?" Arthur immediately objected, shocked. "You are not done!"

"I am!" Alfred protested. Arthur didn't find that possible, though. With as much joking around that Alfred did, he couldn't have possibly finished before Arthur –or Kiku for that matter!

"Show me, then!" Arthur challenged. Alfred gained a determined look in his eyes and he opened his computer up again. After a few moments of logging back onto it and bringing up his report, he turned his laptop around to show the rest of the group. Arthur was the only one who leaned in, however. His eyes scanned the paper looking for any part that Alfred missed or messed up. While it wasn't the best piece of work Arthur had ever read, it certainly was completed. He leaned back, disgruntled. "How did you get done so quickly?"

"I worked on it at home." Alfred shrugged and closed the laptop again, satisfied to have proven himself. He stood up and ran over to where Gilbert was before jumping onto his back laughing.

"Alfred has always been a fast worker." Elizaveta said and leaned forward a bit on the table to address Arthur.

"Since when?" Arthur grumbled, thinking about all of the times Alfred had been some of the last students to turn in any class work.

"Since sophomore year." Vash said and continued to type along with Kiku. Both had gone back to work soon after Alfred had announced that he was done. "He finishes quickly, but he turns in his work late usually." Arthur wondered for what purpose he would do that.

He gave a sigh and shook his head. "No matter. Let us finish as well." There was little left to do now that the day was getting on. The rowdy group was calming down some since it was right after school and all were generally tired. The naturally sweet drinks in their systems caused them to feel satiated and everyone who wasn't working was relaxing now and chatting. With everyone so quiet, it was a matter of time before the rest of the working group had finished one-by-one. Satisfied they all put away their computers and joined the group of students who were only talking.

Arthur sat a little off to the side as he watched the long-time friends chat about school and teachers they were familiar with. He could see that even though some of them didn't like each other, they still all liked to hang out together. They were all friends. Arthur's heart clenched at the thought. He was the outsider here. He didn't belong with these merry friends. It was just like in gym. They sat together and talked about things Arthur couldn't relate to. These people had been together for three years already. Even Lili was getting along well with Elizaveta and Feliciano. Arthur stood up, looking downwards. It was time for him to leave.

"Hey!" Arthur was yanked back and was surprised to find Gilbert grinning at him. "Where do you think you're going, lonely boy?" Arthur flinched a bit at the tone, his instinctive reaction after being bullied for years and looked away. Gilbert frowned and changed his tone. "You're leaving?" Arthur looked back at him, relieved by the change in tone. Maybe Gilbert just had a naturally threatening voice?

"Well…"

"No way! You can't leave yet!" Alfred disagreed and waved Arthur back over. "Come on, you've barely hung out with us!"

"We want to get to know you better!" Feliciano cried happily. His smile seemed almost never-ending. Arthur stared at them. Never before had someone told him that before. Was it even possible to want to know Arthur more?

"You…you do?"

"Yeah! You're the guy who said you didn't want friends, right? We're going to change that!" Gilbert said and pushed Arthur over somewhat gently to sit him down in a chair next to Ludwig. Arthur felt slightly intimidated to be next to a large man but held his pride, sitting up straight. Ludwig gave him a look that reminded Arthur of the Physical Education teacher and could easily see how the two were father and son. Gilbert gave Ludwig a sharp nudge in the ribs that caused the younger brother to jump and grunt before asking in an almost embarrassed manner,

"So…why did you move here to come to this school?" Everyone around them appeared expectant. Arthur shrank back slightly. He realized these people knew next to nothing about him. He was a hot topic because he was new to the school.

"Ah…familial reasons…" He muttered.

"What about?" Alfred pushed. Arthur didn't respond. After an awkward silence between the two the group realized that Arthur didn't want to talk about it.

"What are your hobbies?" Lili asked carefully to change the subject.

"…I like to read and cook…"

"Oh!" Feliciano immediately piped up. "Are you good at cooking?"

"I-I'd say I am!" Arthur said proudly.

"You have to cook something for us sometime!"

"Ah…okay…I'll bring some scones Monday morning…" He promised before he really thought about it.

"Then let us meet up in the cafeteria in the morning." Matthew agreed, smiling. "Will there be enough for all of us?"

"Oh, I'll bring Vlad!" Gilbert called suddenly. "So don't forget him!" Arthur looked at him in surprise.

"Vladimir?"

"Yeah, he's mine and Luddy's cousin!" So that meant that Gilbert and Ludwig had some Nosferatu blood in them somewhere possibly. It would explain Gilbert's red eyes too but it would all depend on the genetics.

"Ah…alright."

For the next hour the students spent talking and laughing with each other. Whether Arthur wanted to or not he was repeatedly brought back into the conversation whenever he tried to drift out. He had no choice but to be a part of the group. While half of him detested that he was being forced by these people to interact with them (he somewhat missed his isolationist time), the other half was relieved and happy. He was finally a part of a group of friends. They talked to him as if he naturally belonged there. And to Arthur, it felt like he truly did. These people were not afraid of them. They weren't trying to hurt him. All of them, in some way, seemed to like him at least a little bit. He resisted the urge to smile. He had not smiled truly in a long time.

The sun was beginning to set and some adults were coming in as Katyusha began to serve the alcoholic beverages. There was a general consensus that it was time to leave. Ivan decided to stay in order to help his sister out. The rest of them began walking through the path in the forest towards the playground. Arthur stood in the middle of the group next to Alfred, not talking but listening to the conversations around him. His chest felt warm as he felt, for once, completely in tune with the people around him. He was comforted by their presence. It was not anything unnatural to him.

_Maybe…_ Arthur thought, _just maybe I will actually have…friends…_ He quickly shook himself of the thought. He couldn't allow himself to hope. He would only be disappointed. Still, a section in his heart secretly dared to hope anyhow.

"We're heading back to the dorms. Are you coming, Al?" Matthew asked.

"Oh, I'll join you guys later. I'm going this way." He pointed in the same direction Arthur was going to walk home. Arthur narrowed his eyes at him a little. The others only shrugged and waved before going in the other direction. Arthur and Alfred began walking away from them. Alfred's hands were stuck his pockets as he looked around them. Arthur looked straight ahead without saying anything. Finally the silence stretched on too long and he had to say something.

"Why did you come this way?" He asked, somewhat suspiciously. Alfred, he knew, did not live this way. The dorms were partway across town. It was the reason Arthur rode the bus to school.

Alfred shrugged. "I wanted to take the long way home. The town's really cool to look at at night. Especially when the holidays come around. Everyone decorates their houses and stuff. It's good exercise to walk. Although," he glanced at Arthur and smiled, "after I drop you off I'm going to jog back. I need to practice for football season."

Arthur raised an eyebrow. "Actual football or your American football?"

"American football! Duh!" Alfred cried, as if it was obvious. Arthur rolled his eyes.

"Of course." The two fell into a generally comfortable silence and walked for a short while without talking. Arthur looked at Alfred. He hadn't considered the possibilities that the boy could actually be silent for extended periods of time. It was rather soothing not having to hear incessant chatter all of the time. He began to think about the fact that he had been accepted into a group of friends. Were they really his friends? He wasn't sure. He was hesitant to call them so. If anybody, he felt the closest to Kiku. The boy didn't force anything upon him and they had cheerful but calm chats with each other. He had even had a couple of conversations at lunch and in the classrooms before that had nothing to do with school itself. But he wondered if maybe it was Alfred's fault that his group of friends had so easily accepted Arthur. He didn't know if that was just natural for these people. "Alfred," He found himself asking before he could stop his impulse, "why is it that you insist on trying to become friends with me?"

Alfred appeared surprised and looked at Arthur, meeting his eyes. He then looked away to think about it. "Well, when I was younger I didn't really have any friends. I only really had Mattie. I wish that I had more but I couldn't help it. I was kind of a fat kid and nobody really liked me. And then my mom sent me and Matt here for school and I began to make friends really easily. I worked out and stuff and everyone just seemed to like me here. When you came and said you didn't want any friends, I couldn't believe it! I mean, everybody wants friends. It's human nature, isn't it? Everyone else thought you were a freak for it-" Arthur flinched at that. So he had upset people with his statement, "but I just thought that you were really lonely. You just didn't know what it was like to have friends." He grinned at Arthur's shocked face. "So Kiku and I decided to become your friend. But it looks like he got you to open up more than I did." He sighed, defeated.

Arthur stared at him and even stopped walking. Alfred walked a few steps ahead but then stopped and turned around when he saw that Arthur wasn't there. Arthur just couldn't believe it. Alfred had completely figured him out. How was that possible? Had he been that obvious? Was it obvious that he didn't know what it was like to have friends? Slowly he began walking again until he was back to his normal pace.

"You…really want to be my friend?" He asked shyly.

"Of course!" Alfred agreed easily.

"…" Arthur arrived at his house and Alfred paused to watch the boy go inside. Arthur glanced back at Alfred one more time. The American smiled and waved before beginning to jog away from the house. Arthur entered the house and felt a soft smile on his lips. Maybe everything could work out.

* * *

**A/N: The theme song of this chapter is "Imagination Forest" by IA. You should look it up! It's so cute! **

**Arthur's finally making friends. It's rather amazing, right? How am I doing with this? Review please!**


	8. Hello, How Are You?

**A/N: Holy shit, has it really been over a month since I've updated this? Oh damn. Well I'm terribly sorry about that. Really I want SO many more followers on this. I love this story to death. Unfortunately I feel inclined to warn you all again that this story will probably make you cry when it gets to those points. And I will have a total of three endings for the story, okay? So when we get there, you guys can choose for yourselves which one is the "true ending", although I won't tell you. Hahaha! **

**But even knowing this I hope you stay with me nonetheless. This story will be good, I promise. Oh and I've never played Shin Megami Tensei or Persona. XD; I only knew of the Persona series. Anyway, onto the story!**

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**Chapter 7: Hello, How Are You? **

October blew in along with the winds of change. The seasons began their switch in roles as summer stepped regally aside for lovely autumn. The leaves darkened on the trees and grew into multitudes of beautiful reds, browns, oranges, and yellows. The temperature dropped to around 10ᵒC on typical days and the sun hardly was shown through showers of rain and cloud. Nonetheless Cultural Heights was filling with the oncoming holiday season.

The neighbourhoods were decorating for All Hallow's Eve (Halloween, whatever) with spooky trinkets like webbing, spiders, pumpkins, and gory (fake) severed limbs. Lights were also strung and creepy signs saying such things like "Keep Out" were put up as Halloween crept closer. Arthur noticed all of these things as he decided to walk to school on October 28th. A cool wind gusted through his hair and caused him to duck his head a bit more into the scarf he wore around his neck. The school uniform had altered in order to take into account the weather change. Arthur now wore a blue long-sleeved school jacket along with his school's pale yellow and white vest extending to become a sweater instead of just a sweater-vest. He continued to wear his white button-up shirt and plaid blue pants and brown loafers. He himself had added the scarf for his for his own benefit although he had experienced colder weather before. No need to get sick so close to the holidays.

"_**Speaking of holidays," **_Jeanne reminded Arthur from his coat pocket, _**"Samhain is approaching."**_

_Indeed._ Arthur agreed and nodded his head. _I must prepare my lantern soon._ He entered the school with various other kids and removed his scarf as he went to go to his locker to replace his last block's supplies with the supplies he needed for Allistier's class. He also placed his scarf into the locker and closed it. On the other side of the closed locker door he spotted Gilbert with Elizaveta and her boyfriend Roderich. The albino boy was making faces and saying something that annoyed Elizaveta to the point that her pretty face became bright red with anger and punched Gilbert in the face. Arthur winced merely out of empathy as Elizaveta stormed off with Roderich following. Arthur turned to avoid a confrontation with Gilbert when the Prussian caught his shoulder.

"Geez, do you believe her?" He exclaimed and Arthur bit back a sigh, now forced to converse with a scalded nineteen-year-old.

"I don't know to what you're referring to." He replied knowing that it was better to fool Gilbert into thinking that Arthur hadn't witnessed the fight. It would just cause more of a ruckus if Gilbert had discovered Arthur had seen the fight.

"Liz! That woman is insane! I don't know how I dated her!" Arthur rolled his eyes and moved out from under Gilbert as the boy tried to slump on him. He still wasn't comfortable with his new "friends" (he was still hesitant to even call them that), and he certainly didn't want to have to deal with their problems. He had only recently been opening up (very, _very_ hesitantly) to others. He was still scared. He didn't want to be touched either.

"I don't know how you did either." He lied as the two began to walk in the direction of Arthur's first block. Gilbert by this point was just following Arthur around. He really wished to get Gilbert off of his back somehow. He didn't know anything about relationships (besides what he had seen) so he really didn't want to have to deal with this conversation. Besides he knew about Gilbert's relationship with Elizaveta already. The two had dated last year and were quite the tumultuous couple because they bickered constantly. They both were childhood friends, though, along with Roderich and cared for each other even if neither party wanted to show it. It was amazing the stories this school so easily told. It had taken Arthur less than three months to find out a majority of the scandalous stories of the senior class (and this was without him really talking to anybody. They were only overheard).

Gilbert rubbed his sore face and Arthur spotted his escape as he saw Feliciano and Ludwig walking in their direction. Gilbert took the bait quickly as Arthur subtly moved them in the direction of the couple. The elder German brother rushed over and hugged Feliciano (Arthur had a suspicion of some type of love triangle happening there). "Luddy! Liz punched me again!"

"Again?" Ludwig sighed. "You probably deserved it."

"What!" Arthur made his escape and fast-walked towards his first block. He waved awkwardly, though, as Feliciano called out a cheerful "_Ciao!" _to him. He sighed in relief as the situation was adverted and as he turned the corner he slowed himself down to a decent speed. He was alone and that pleased him (or as alone as one could get in a school). He gave a wary glance towards the boys bathroom he had marked as 'bad' on his map and started a bit as he thought he saw something black flash away from the entrance. He stared at the doorway for a few moments but saw nothing else there and so moved on, suspicious and a tad unnerved. His senses were on high alert, not liking whatever he saw.

He made it to his classroom without any other incidents and entered quietly to see nobody there yet. Not ever Kiku. Why the door was even unlocked suddenly made Arthur question the school on the priorities. Did they think that the students wouldn't try to steal anything from the classrooms? No matter, it wasn't Arthur's business. He took his usual spot and glanced out of the window across the room. A light rain was beginning to fall and even as he watched the pitter-patter against the glass became louder until it was storming outside. He just laid his head against his arms and stared at it expressionlessly. The ticking of the clock was distinct in the quiet room. For whatever reason the rain outside of the window reminded him of the television shows that he would watch in his open time as a child. He recalled a girl on one of the shows who lived a horrible life and yet was loved by everyone. He remembered how jealous he had been of that girl. How could she live such a horrid life and yet everyone loved her?

_It's unrealistic._ He had thought to himself then and still thought so to this day. His siblings had teased him for watching a "soap opera" for teenage girls but what else did Arthur have to do back then? He didn't have friends and it had been raining heavily for the past few days so he couldn't hang out with the faeries that lived in the forest behind his house. _"What do you expect of me?"_ Arthur had asked his parents one day, quoting the show and hoping for a positive response to encourage him.

"_I have no expectations from you anymore._" His father had responded, stinging Arthur's already weak and weary heart. Arthur had looked down and walked away.

Arthur closed his eyes as he listened to the rain and the ticking of the clock, his eyes watering a little. "It's not like I expect anything of myself either…" He whispered into the empty room. He had really hoped his parents wouldn't say something like that. Even back then it seemed as if they hated him. He was a cursed child.

The door opened and inside Kiku came along with Elizaveta and surprisingly Lili. Arthur quickly sat up and wiped his eyes in what he had hoped was a subtle way. He was lucky as neither of his classmates noticed but one glance at Lili showed that she had noticed. He cursed his luck mentally as the group approached him. "Good morning, Arthur." Elizaveta said with a smile, her earlier anger apparently gone now.

"Good morning." Arthur responded after the other two had also greeted him.

"It's raining quite heavily." Lili commented as Kiku took his seat behind Arthur. Elizaveta sat with Lili on top of Alfred's desk. The door was closed, leaving only the four of them. Lili looked at Arthur with a soft and cute smile, "How are you?"

"I'm fine." Arthur said and looked at his bag as a distraction, pulling out the supplies he needed for class. He didn't want to talk. He didn't notice as Lili whispered something into Elizaveta's ear.

"You were crying?" She asked, surprised. Arthur started and blushed slightly, refusing to sit up and continued to dig through his bag needlessly.

"No! Of course not!" He lied quickly. He rubbed the skin between his nose and his upper lip in a quick scratch and finally placed his bag aside when he could no longer use it as a distraction. Neither girl spoke and allowed his lie to pass, luckily. An extended silence stretched between them.

"Arthur," Kiku said softly spoke and Arthur glanced at him. He felt much more relaxed with the Asian boy. Kiku gave him a soft and concerned look, "why do you keep silent and hide everything? Are you afraid we will laugh at you for crying?"

Arthur's eyes widened and his shoulders hunched in a little as he looked away from Kiku's face. He couldn't look him in the eye. "No…" He whispered, although a sensitive part of him agreed with Kiku. He couldn't stand being ridiculed. However another part of him said that these people wouldn't laugh at him. Elizaveta had an "older sister" aura that was forgiving and caring while Lili held the "younger sister" aura meant to comfort kindly. And Kiku's personality was one that was kind no matter the situation (that he had seen so far). He adjusted the cuffs of his jacket. "I just don't like talking about myself."

"Did something bad happen to you in the past?" Lili asked. Arthur gave a quick bitter laugh before he could stop himself. He then bit his humour back. He didn't need to respond. They already had their answer.

Elizaveta lightly touched Arthur's shoulder and smiled at him. "Don't worry about that now. You're here and we're your friends. We won't ever laugh at you, unless it's with a funny purpose."

"I just want to be alone." Arthur stated and closed his eyes again. His heart was trembling and his throat was tightening up. He was going to cry again. He couldn't let them see. He wanted to be by himself.

"Is that really what you want?" Kiku asked him. The British boy opened his mouth for the automatic reply when the words caught in his throat. He took in a shuddery breath and before he knew it tears began to roll down his cheeks unwillingly. He lowered his head as his shoulder shook with his voiceless sobs. Why did he always have to be in pain? His past forever haunted him. He couldn't have a happy future because of it. Two pairs of arms wrapped around him and he stiffened in shock as he was hugged from both sides. His eyes opened widely at the warmth encompassing him. Elizaveta and Lili both held him, one of their hands rubbing soothing circles on his back. None of them said anything but Arthur cried harder, allowing his face to be hidden by both of the girls. He hadn't felt such comforting warmth in such a long time. His grandmother had been the last one to hold him like that. And yet here he had two people who he could barely call friends hugging him. He couldn't stop his tears any longer and he sobbed quietly, his face hidden by their hair.

It took a number of embarrassing minutes Arthur cared not to recount but he finally gained control of himself. A tissue box appeared in his face and he saw Kiku holding it out to him with a non-judging face. Feeling awkward, Arthur took it silently and wiped his face and blew his nose. The girls released him and each sat back. The group didn't talk. Arthur knew that the four of them had just shared a moment not to be spoken of again. Without a word his trust for all three had heightened.

Finally Lili glanced at the clock. "Oh, I must go before the bell rings. I'm on the other side of campus." She stood up.

"We'll see you later." Elizaveta said with a smile. The tense atmosphere was broken.

"Good bye." Kiku said and Arthur murmured a quiet good bye as well.

"I will see you at lunch." Lili smiled and waved a dainty hand before she departed. Arthur continued to clean up his face as the other two students took their seats. Lili's brother came in not long later followed by a number of other students too. As a loud voice approached, Arthur knew that Alfred would be there in a moment and so he did arrive bickering a little with Ivan. The taller Russian only chuckled as Alfred (who was only a little shorter) yanked at the boy's scarf. Ivan then swatted Alfred hard enough to send the boy stumbling a bit before rushing back and whacking him on the head in retaliation.

"Stop it!" Allistier yelled as he came into the room behind them (surprisingly early) and broke up the rapidly approaching fight. He shoved them away from each other and muscled his way behind his desk. Alfred grumbled and plopped down unhappily into his seat next to Arthur.

"Fucking Ivan…Who the fuck is he calling a fatass? He's fucking fatter than me!" He muttered angrily under his breath flicking Ivan off as the boy passed by. Ivan only gave him a cold smile and ignored his taunt as he went to his own seat. Arthur raised an eyebrow but decided he didn't trust his voice enough to not be gravelly from his crying to speak yet.

* * *

Allistier had apparently decided that this wasn't a day that he wanted work on this particular Monday and so just told the class to work on their projects, which meant Arthur and his group had a free block and the others took advantage of it. Alfred and Ivan immediately went back to bickering but with a glare and scowl from Allistier, it became more passive-aggressive. They were insulting each other using the weather, for whatever reason. Arthur hadn't even known that was possible.

"Where did you take Lili this morning?" Vash asked Elizaveta and Kiku as Arthur began scribbling in his book absently.

"Are you mad we took her from you?" Elizaveta giggled. "We just wanted to hang out with her a little."

"I don't need you corrupting her with your ways." Vash gave her a look. Arthur wondered what those 'ways' were.

"We're doing you a favor." The girl brushed him off. "We were helping plan her outfit for Halloween. Girl stuff, you know? Since there aren't that many girls here." It was true. The school was almost 80% male in population although that wasn't the choice of the school. It was the countries themselves that chose who would be sent to the school.

"And you brought Kiku because?"

"Because he's good at cosplay." Somehow Elizaveta seemed to say that a tad too innocently for Arthur to completely believe.

"Speaking of Halloween!" Alfred suddenly barged into the conversation, dropping his argument with Ivan. "What are you all doing? I'm planning a party with Feli and Lovi at their gramps' place. You all can come!" He flipped his chair around so that he was straddling it and nudged Arthur expectantly, an excited glimmer in his eye.

"Sorry, but I have plans." Arthur said and batted the elbow nudging him.

"What? Really? You?"

Arthur glared at him. "Yes, me!" Alfred seemed to understand just how impossible that was to believe but Arthur really did have plans for Halloween night. "I'm having a meeting with my club at midnight."

"You mean that Magic Club?" Ivan asked with a slight tilt of his head. "Are you up to bad things?"

Arthur flushed. "No!"

"Well that's at midnight! The party starts at seven! Come on you can hang for a little while, right?" Alfred begged. Arthur felt suspicious as to why Alfred wanted him to come so badly. He would have to see.

"I make no promises." He stated.

* * *

When the lunch bell rang Arthur got up and prepared to head for his usual spot under the tree on a bench when Gilbert gripped his arm and led him instead into the cafeteria for the first time since Arthur had been in that school. He gasped slightly at all of the people filing in from multiple doors and gazed at the gorgeous roof. The ceiling was covered in a mural of paintings of various colours and skill Arthur knew he could never fully appreciate. He had heard about the roof that had been painted by some of the art students that had come to this school over the years but never before had he seen it. It was dazzling.

Gilbert sat him down at a table with a mischievous grin. "You're sitting with us today!"

"Says who?" He challenged, about ready to get up and just leave when Ludwig grabbed him and made him sit again. He had a deadly serious look in his eye that shocked Arthur.

"Please stay." The German commanded. "If you do not, Alfred will complain and I can't take much more."

"Please do punch him in the face." Matthew stated as he took a seat diagonal to Arthur. He pulled a stuffed bear out of his backpack and placed it in his lap before pulling out a lunchbox. "I'm tired of listening to him." Arthur gaped, having not expected Matthew to treat his brother so cruelly. Alfred must have been really annoying then. Well it was reasonable: Alfred was always annoying.

"Why does he want me so desperately to be here?" Arthur asked, too curious for his own good as he opened up his own home-cooked meal (the people at the table gave sidelong worried glances at the "food"). He was just about to take a sip of his tea when Gilbert said,

"Because he wants to fuck you." Arthur coughed and started choking on his tea as the Prussian roared with laughter. Arthur's mind immediately rejected such a thing as Matthew patted Arthur on the back in an attempt to help him.

"Don't say such a thing!" He gasped out as he finally began to breathe without liquid in his lungs.

"What, does Artie-boy have a thing against queers?" Gilbert challenged, still grinning.

"Gil, is this really the time to mess with him?" Matthew asked.

"_Bruder_, stop this." Ludwig agreed, annoyed.

"I have nothing against it." Arthur muttered. "And don't call me that name!" He added louder. Arthur didn't have an opinion on sexuality. He had never really considered it before. He hadn't even had a friend let alone someone to care enough about to actually consider for a potential partner. If anything, he would think he would swing more towards the girls. Lili looked to be a nice girl who Arthur wouldn't mind trying to date, had he not been sure Vash would shoot him first. But then again, Arthur liked looking at women with larger breasts anyway.

"You're an idiot." Lukas commented towards Gilbert as he took a seat. Arthur found it amusing that the boy didn't even know what they were discussing and he still called Gilbert an idiot. He knew there was a reason he liked Lukas.

"Hey!" Gilbert yelled but was then distracted as Elizaveta arrived with her lunch and commented for him to stop being so loud. Arthur shook his head. The sexual tension between those two was almost disgusting.

"Arthur," He turned his head as Lukas addressed him, "do we have everything for Samhain?"

"I have everything I need. Do you and the others?" Arthur lowered his voice a bit. Lukas nodded.

"Then everything is set, yes?" Vladimir suddenly appeared over Arthur's shoulder and the boy jumped, not liking that Vlad was so close to his neck all of a sudden.

"Yes." Arthur hissed and glared at him. Vladimir chuckled and sat down across from Lukas.

"Alfred!" Feliciano's voice rang over the clamour of the lunch room and Arthur watched as Feliciano ran up an approaching Alfred, "I need to go get pumpkins for jack-o'-lanterns! Do you want to come too? I'm going to make a lot!"

"Oh totally!" Alfred agreed, grinning and sat down at the table across from Arthur. "Dude, your pumpkins are always great!" Jeanne sent a sharp spike through Arthur that almost felt like a kick in the rear that had the boy blurting out,

"I too need to create a lantern."

"Really?" Alfred asked. "Hey, come with us after school then!" Feliciano nodded excitedly. Arthur sighed and reluctantly agreed. Damn that Jeanne.


	9. Halloween Requiem

**A/N: Woo! I totally need to update Brother Complex! lD Welcome to the Halloween chapter! This will be fun. :3 Pairing fodder for multiple pairings coming up. (Please excuse any translation errors)**

**Long chapter is very fucking long**

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**Chapter 8: Halloween Requiem**

After school Alfred and Feliciano dragged Arthur with them to the local store. As expected, there was a multitude of pumpkins in supply for anyone who wanted to create lanterns. Comically Arthur recalled reading how in the old days it would be turnips made into lanterns and not pumpkins. How silly. Feliciano had bought three pumpkins with two being large and a single small one. Alfred and Arthur each bought large ones (Alfred chose the largest he could find) and Alfred helped Feliciano carry his produce to the Italian's shop.

It was the first time Arthur had ever been inside of the Vargas Café' and Restaurant and he wasn't surprised to see the open atmosphere. In the front of the building there was a sweets counter with coffee machines behind it. The pastries in the counter made Arthur jealous of their beauty, wishing that he could cook half as well as they were made. They were almost better than his cousin Francis's and that was saying something. The warm scent of baking garlic bread wafted through the air from down the hallway and upon peeking Arthur saw a complete Italian restaurant in the back. His mouth watered at the scents and his stomach growled slightly.

"This way!" Feliciano called and showed Arthur and Alfred past a few of the café's tables and up a set of stairs into the housing portion of the Vargas' household. Upstairs was open and nicely decorated like how downstairs was. Warm carpeted flooring of a tan colour with white and green walling with trimmings made the space refreshing. There wasn't much furniture but the pieces that were there were marvelous and large, blending with the décor of statues and paintings that littered the walls. Arthur stared at the pieces as the three entered the living room.

Alfred noticed Arthur's staring and nudged him a bit before whispering, "All of these were made by Feli and his family."

"What! Feliciano, these are originals?" Arthur gaped.

"Ve?" Feliciano put down his pumpkins onto the floor and grabbed what looked to be a painter's sheet to lie out onto the floor before he entered the kitchen, "Oh _si, si_, they are!" He poked his head around the corner to beam at Arthur, "My grandpa and I made most of them!"

Arthur did a double-take to peer closer and examine the paintings closely. He could spy the individual strokes with his sharp eyes and could be nothing but amazed. "They're gorgeous." He breathed, jealous of the creation. He could draw but nothing like this.

"_Graci!_" Feliciano chirped and disappeared again. Rustling ensued and the clanking of metal as well as the opening and closing of cupboards and drawers sounded. After a few more moments Feliciano exited the kitchen carrying various carving tools and a couple bowls. He placed it all down in the middle where all three participants could reach them before also sitting down. Arthur hesitated to grab a tool but as he saw Alfred help himself to the instruments so did he.

"So Feli, how are things going with Ludwig?" The American asked to start up a conversation so that the only sound in the room wasn't the sawing of the pumpkins.

"Wonderful!" Feliciano hummed cheerfully. "We will be celebrating six months soon!" Arthur watched the exchange silently, somewhat surprised. He'd known that Feliciano and Ludwig had been dating (according to rumours it had been coming a long time) but he had not realized that it had been for so long already.

"Man, you're so lucky to have someone!"

"But you have so many choices!" Feliciano countered. "Women and men both want to date you!"

"But I'm not _interested_ in them!" Alfred bemoaned. "I mean, they're good-looking and nice and stuff but I don't feel any kind of connection enough to them to want to date."

"Ehh? What a waste!"

"Is everyone in this school gay in one way or another?" Arthur found himself blurting out. Feliciano and Alfred blinked at him before thinking about it.

"Hmmm…_si!_" Feliciano nodded.

"Well I wouldn't say that." Alfred disagreed. "I know plenty of straight people; it's just that a lot of the guys are more up to experimenting because of the gender ratio." Arthur found this logical enough. "Why? Do you have a problem with it?"

Arthur sensed an underlining feeling in Alfred's tone and purposely ignored it, knowing exactly what it was. It was a little obnoxious for his sexuality to be once again questioned in one day. "No, I don't."

"Oh, okay." Arthur went back to focusing on scraping out the entrails and seeds of his pumpkin. It was the most tedious part he found of the whole lantern-making process. After a beat Alfred obviously did not want the silence to come back and quickly broke it again, "So how come you're carving a pumpkin, Arthur?" Arthur raised an eyebrow at him. "'Cause you know, you don't look like the type to do something like this."

"Have you never heard the 'rules' of Halloween before?" Arthur asked as he looked back at his hollowed out pumpkin and contemplated what kind of face to put on it. "About why we say 'trick or treat' or why we wear costumes?" Feliciano and Alfred were paying close attention now and both shook their heads. Arthur clicked his tongue disapprovingly. Really now, did these muggles know nothing (God, he loved using that term)? "Well then, I wouldn't necessarily call them rules but they are guidelines. First and foremost one should always check their candy."

"Why?" Feliciano asked. "In case you're allergic?"

"Not quite. The 'trick' part of the saying 'trick or treat' did not necessarily mean that if you got a treat you weren't given a trick as well. IN the past people would put tricks in their candy. Not all of them were –so to say- 'healthy' tricks." He gave the two a meaningful look. "The reason we dress up as monsters is because Halloween is when the border between worlds is thinnest and monsters come through. We dress up to blend in with them."

"But there aren't monsters!" Alfred denied.

"Oh, there are. They just look normal because we're used to costumes." It wasn't completely true –at least not for people who had the Sight. Arthur could still distinctly remember passing out candy to monsters that appeared on his doorstep demanding some because he knew if he didn't give any he would be attacked. He could easily tell the difference between the costumes and real life. He had been lucky to always create a lantern.

Feliciano looked a bit shaken up. "A-are there any more?" Arthur didn't find the rules to be particularly scary but then again he had lived with them since he could comprehend what he had been told and what he saw.

"Hm yes, the lanterns. To answer your question Alfred I create lanterns for protection. Jack o' lanterns are to protect you from the monsters. However the lantern must be created by you and it must remain lit all night. It is useless if blown out before the end of the night and cannot be relit. Only one lantern per person as well."

"Gah! This is too scary!" Alfred shook his head quickly. "Just stop! Can we just make the lanterns already?" Arthur didn't object and they fell silent as they went back to carving. Somehow, though, Arthur had the distinct impression that both boys were being more serious about their carving now, even if Feliciano had teary eyes.

* * *

Arthur adjusted his cloak as he gazed at himself in his uncovered mirror. His heart thudded in his chest and his cheeks were pink. He wondered if the heater was on too high and frowned because he had even turned on the overhead fan in his room but his cheeks were still hot. Jeanne had her own opinion about what the reason could be but Arthur disregarded her. His costume wasn't very original considering his origin but he'd had a Sherlock Holmes costume for a number of years (he hadn't grown much in the past three years) and he'd never worn it to anything like a party before considering he often stayed home or went to his grandmother's or went out to be alone. It wasn't as if he was excited to be going to a Halloween party (for the first time ever), he was only going to occupy his time until around midnight so that he would go to join the other festivities of the night.

He walked over to his fan and turned it off before gazing out of the window. Night had fallen and already children were starting their rounds. Arthur tilted his head slightly to the side as he contemplated which costumes were real monsters and which were children. He couldn't tell from his view from the second floor and so grabbed his shoes before slipping them on and going downstairs. Allistier was watching some shitty children's cartoon about Halloween and looked to be displeased about it as he smoked a cigar. He had a large bowlful of sweets next to him so Arthur safely assumed that he would be handling the sweets. Usually it had always been Arthur who passed out candy when they had lived in the British Isles. The other siblings had always gone to parties or trick-or-treated and Arthur had been left home alone to pass out the sweets.

Allistier looked up at his entry and raised a large eyebrow. "Where're you going? To do your witchcraft shite?"

Arthur shook his head, scowling a little at him. "Not right now, no. It's not nearly midnight." He walked to the door and opened it before hesitating, "I'm going to a party." He quickly shut the door before he could hear Allistier's (no doubt snide) remark. On the porch Arthur scooped up his lantern and carried it within his arms as he exited the yard. Already he could see a few undead (Halloween costumes were starting to become more realistic but he saw a few actual rotting figures, disgustingly) limping their way up towards his porch. He stiffened slightly as a group of them stopped right next to him. He regarded them as their eyes dropped down to his lantern. Three of the people were in costumes; the other two, not so much. The three humans continued on up to the house while the leftover creatures stared at him. "I'm protected." He stated. Nonetheless he dug into a small bag he carried around his waist and pulled out two mini candy bars and handed one to each of the creatures. They formed some type of demented smiles and walked on to go up to Arthur's house. Arthur saw Allistier's lantern sitting next to the door. At least his brother would be protected for the night.

He made his way quickly into town where some type of Halloween parade was happening and dodged around them. He was disturbed by all of the people but his love for this holiday could not be ruined. When going through his rebellious phase he often loved to prank unsuspecting people. One night he had come dangerously close to dying but it had been worth it. Dying didn't scare him anyway. Hearing those boggarts scream at him and chase him had him laughing for days afterwards. He had been lucky to have spare candy on him and his lantern not far off. He had almost blown out the candle too. As he walked to the Vargas' household he made sure his lantern was protected until he had reached the doorway. Inside he could hear a different tempo of music blaring that was separate from the sound of the festivities in the streets. He knocked on the door but upon receiving no answer he timidly opened the door. The flare of multiple peoples' auras rushed over him, many of which he had recognized. His stones, hidden in a pocket within his cloak and well protected, absorbed the blow thankfully and Arthur placed his lantern safely onto the table next to some sweets that was right next to the door. It was doubtful that children would trick-or-treat at a store but he supposed it was just in case.

Inside of the store was dark but had blacklights and orange lights illuminating the house in a creepy way. He could see the clichéd wall decorations as well as spider webs hanging from the ceiling containing multiple large and fake spiders. Arthur spotted many of Feliciano's own handmade jack o' lanterns decorating the hallway as Arthur made his way towards the back where half the party was being held. He could tell the other half of the party was upstairs from the pounding of footsteps. The party-goers all seemed to consist mostly of the seniors in the school but he recognized a few of the juniors he had spotted around the school. In the back of the room he saw the elder Vargas brother Lovino arguing with the resident Spaniard (Arthur believed his name was Toni but he wasn't completely sure because it sounded like a nickname. Perhaps it was Anthony? Antonio?) and the Belgian girl was giggling next to them, listening to their conversation while Toni looked a bit exasperated. The backdoor to the building was opened and Arthur could see lights out there but decided later to explore it when he needed a break. He maneuvered around the dancing teenagers to the refreshments bar where he grabbed himself a sandwich. The room was stifling and his ears were already ringing a bit with the music. His nose caught the faint scent of cigarettes and maybe a blunt but he wasn't too sure with all of the moving bodies around him.

Already he couldn't stand being at the party. He hoped that upstairs would be better. Besides, he needed to give his regards to Feliciano for inviting him in the first place (although Arthur doubted that he would stay long at this rate). He began to clear his path towards the stairs when his arm was grabbed and he was yanked up and against Vash. He gasped in surprised and Vash looked startled as well. "Sorry." The Swish boy called above the music, looking a bit disgruntled. "I mistook you for someone else."

"Are you looking for Lili?" Arthur guessed. Vash looked at him seriously and nodded but his cheeks appeared to be a little flushed. Arthur slyly assumed that it was the heat of the party. "I haven't seen her but I only just arrived. I was going upstairs-"

"I'll go with you." Vash interrupted in his commanding-officer tone and Arthur had no choice but to accept. Vash thankfully led the way through the crowd, cutting through them politely but stiffly. Arthur followed along behind taking in the scenery around him. Portions of his outfit were glowing under the ultraviolet lights. Through the crowd he spotted Lukas standing with a few of the other Scandinavian seniors and chatting. Lukas met his gaze and nodded once. Arthur nodded back. They would talk later. Vash and Arthur walked upstairs to where it was thankfully less crowded but now there were more people making out. Arthur made a disgusted face as the scene. Vash saw this and made a mad dash off to search for his adopted sister, no doubt worried. In the corner Arthur could see Vladimir and Elizaveta glaring at each other with Vladimir grinning sinisterly. Elizaveta didn't appreciate it and said something no doubt meant to be snide. Vladimir said something back with a mocking twist of his head and stopped the girl from saying something by kissing her on the lips teasingly. Elizaveta turned red and ran after him on a rampage as Vladimir effortlessly disappeared into the crowd. Arthur shook his head. Didn't Vladimir hate Elizaveta? The two of them acted like cats and dogs. Vladimir must've known how to push her buttons. Arthur supposed that cousins like Vladimir and Gilbert were inclined to mess with people.

The scent of alcohol reached Arthur's nose and he smirked. Of course nobody could get so many teenagers together that were legal in their own countries to drink and not have alcohol there. This party became all the better. Unfortunately Arthur knew that he needed to keep his head for later on. No need to become inebriated. He would be having wine later, after all. He took a seat down onto an open couch and watched the party people dancing and laughing. He heard a few screams from outside and allowed the joyful feeling of Halloween overcome him.

"You made it." A quiet voice said and Arthur jumped, his head turning quickly to where Matthew sat next to him. He hadn't realized that he was sitting next to anyone. The boy was dressed in what kind of looked to be some kind of gingerbread boy costume with overalls that were over a plaid shirt. In his lap was his stuffed polar bear that had a bonnet on its head. Matthew also wore an adorable cap. Arthur stared at him, having the overwhelming urge to hug the boy but resisted and looked away blushing a bit. Curse his love of cute things.

"Ah…yes, I came."

"Thank god." Matthew blew a loose strand of hair out of his face and smiled at Arthur as the English boy turned back to face him. "Alfred was planning on invading your house and moving the party there if you didn't."

Arthur sputtered. "You lie!"

"I'm not." Matthew laughed a laugh that sounded like a softer version of Alfred's.

"Allistier would've murdered the lot of you."

"That's what I said but Al never learns."

"Your brother is a fool."

"Tell me about it." Arthur liked talking with Matthew, he decided as the two continued to chat about meaningless things. Matthew didn't talk much but when he did he proved how much smarter he was (and in a normal tone of voice too!) than his twin. Still it seemed that Arthur could not find a single "normal" person in the entire school no matter how hard he looked. Even Matthew, with how kind he was, still carried around a stuffed animal despite being eighteen (or nearly so, Arthur wasn't sure what his actual age was).

"Speaking of your brother," Arthur asked after a good few minutes, "where is he? I'm surprised he hasn't harassed me yet."

Matthew relaxed against the couch and his eyes followed a rogue Gilbert carrying what looked to be a silly string can running away from something. He seemed seriously distressed. Matthew raised an eyebrow. "Probably downstairs. He was busy putting on his costume. The guy's insane dressing up how he did but then again the Finnish guy Tino and his friends dressed up all crazy too. And Ivan's dressed as the Queen of Hearts, hahaha!" Arthur choked on his sandwich having been trying to picture what Alfred had dressed up as before his mind switched to Ivan in a dress. Matthew patted his back and then pointed out into the crowd. "It's not as bad as you think." Arthur watched as Ivan –indeed dressed in a less-girlish outfit than Arthur had pictured- pounded through the crowd smiling angrily and covered in silly string and carrying a pipe (Arthur hoped that was fake) went after no doubt Gilbert.

"Gilbert is insane." Arthur stated as soon as he could breathe properly again.

"Yeah. I don't see why he insists on messing with Ivan. Him and Al…" Just then a familiar laughing voice appeared behind Arthur and slipped his head in between the two friends. A Dark Knight-dressed Alfred (it could only be Alfred) grinned at him.

"Artie, you made it! Dude, did you see Ivan? He looked SO mad! Hahaha, that's what he gets for calling me fat!"

"Did you do that to him?" Matthew asked.

"Yup! Then gave Gil the can." He winked at his brother.

_Note to self: Alfred is more devious than his childish face lets on._ Arthur thought and finished off his sandwich. "You're horrible." He said with a roll of his eyes.

"Whatever, man. Who are you, Sherlock? How cliché bro!" Alfred snatched Arthur's cap and placed it over his own helmet.

"Hey!" Arthur jumped for the cap but Alfred dodged backwards with a teasing grin. "And who are you, the Dark Idiot?" He called back.

"Harsh, man! I'm obviously Batman!" He turned and ran into the crowd.

"Alfred!" Arthur yelled after him and left Matthew alone as he dashed after him. He dodged around a couple (they looked to be Grandmother Lovino and A Little Red Riding Hood Belgian girl, whenever they came up there) who were making out and ducked under the pipe being pressed to Gilbert's throat as the Prussian boy yelled about how he hadn't been the one to spray Ivan and that he had been set up. A girl with a bow in her hair stood next to Gilbert pressing a knife to Gilbert's back. She seemed to have a matching costume to Ivan's. "Alfred!" Arthur called again as he spotted the cape of the American boy and grabbed it. Alfred was yanked to a halt and spun around to taunt Arthur with the cap.

"Come and get it, man!" He laughed and waved it in front of his face. Arthur lunged for it repeatedly but each time Alfred yanked it out of his reach. Arthur hated this type of game but for some reason he found it to not be as bad as before. He could tell Alfred was only playing with him and it kept him from becoming too upset. He jumped again and missed but stumbled on Alfred's cape and ended up slamming into Alfred's hard chest plate. Alfred grabbed them before they could tumble backwards into the wall and steadied them, the two of them panting. Arthur's eyes widened at Alfred's arms wrapped around him and shivered at the sensation of the boy's aura wrapping so thickly around him. His heart thudded rapidly in his chest as his body absorbed the feeling and his eyes dilated. His head swam, not expecting such an "attack" all of a sudden. "Whoa, that was close." Alfred's voice sounded faint and Arthur's mind barely registered that the boy was glancing behind them at the wall. "That would've caused damage."

Arthur shoved away from Alfred and shook his head to clear it before he snatched his hat back, firmly placing it on his head and refusing to believe that his flushed cheeks came from being so close to Alfred. "Th-That's your fault for messing with you, git!" He cried. Alfred only laughed.

"It's okay! No harm done- oh." The smile dropped a bit and Arthur frowned.

"What?"

"Um…Sorry, man." His head nodded to Arthur's pants and Arthur frowned more as he looked at himself. To his horror a long tear extended up the front of his pants, exposing quite a bit of his leg and a part of his underwear. Arthur screeched, horrified and more worried about the scars on his leg being exposed more than the pants itself and covered himself.

"You bastard! You tore my costume!"

"I'm sorry! I didn't mean to! Shit…" Alfred looked around and took off his cape for a moment and handed it to him. "Here, hang onto this for a second. I brought a spare costume that I think might fit you. I'll be right back." Before Arthur could object, Alfred dashed off through the crowd.

"Argh! Bastard!" Arthur huffed under his breath and wrapped the cape around his waist like a skirt before plopping down on the ground next to the wall. He glared at the opposite side of the room and saw it clearing out a bit as people went downstairs (he heard some type of cheering and wondered if something was going on down there).

"Arthur?" Arthur looked up and saw Feliciano leaning over him dressed in what appeared to be a slave outfit. Arthur couldn't help but feel embarrassed for the boy. "Are you alright?" Beside him stood Ludwig dressed up in a Roman soldier outfit that suited him far too well. On the other side of the couple was Kiku dressed in some type of fox demon outfit (Arthur recognized it from one of the books he read in the club room).

"Yes, I'm fine. Bloody Alfred ripped my costume, is all."

"Oh no!"

Ludwig sighed. "I'm not surprised with the spikes on his outfit."

"Do you have anything to change into?" Kiku asked, worried.

"Yeah, my grandpa has plenty of extra costumes like mine!" Feliciano offered cheerfully.

"N-No, that's fine. I'd rather not. Alfred says he has a spare he's going to lend me…" Arthur told them. "What's going on downstairs?"

"I believe that Rome-san has started dancing…" Kiku murmured

"Grandpa's so good at dancing!" Feliciano smiled.

"Oh. Oh yes, thank you for inviting me." Arthur told his host.

"Oh but it was Alfred!"

"Still."

"It is no problem!" Feliciano grabbed Ludwig's hand. "Ludwig, weren't we going to find your brother?"

"Right." Ludwig nodded, frowning. "I need to talk with him about his pranking…" Arthur had the feeling that Ludwig was the more responsible one of the two brothers. Feliciano waved as the couple walked off to find the Prussian boy (and perhaps save him from death). Kiku lingered with Arthur for a few minutes.

"How are you enjoying the party?" He asked.

"It's fine." Arthur looked away from him and crossed his arms. Kiku took a seat next to him, maneuvering his tail so as to not sit on it.

"Until Alfred ripped your outfit?"

"Yes. I'd really love a drink."

Kiku chuckled a bit. "Of alcohol?"

"Of course. But I'll control myself for now."

"Hey!" Alfred appeared again, panting a bit and carrying a bag. "Here you go! I found it! Someone had moved it away from my jack o' lantern!" He held the bag out and Arthur stood to take it, holding the cape around his lower half protectively. "Oh hey Kiku!"

"Hello, Alfred. Have you seen Gilbert?" Kiku asked.

"Yeah, he's dancing downstairs with the Indian boy. The dance was real cool until Ludwig showed up and freaking did a kickass wrestling move on him and dragged him away!" Arthur stared, shocked. Kiku quickly got up murmuring curses.

"I'd better go check on them." He said, worried and nodded to the two before hurrying off to go downstairs. Alfred turned back to Arthur.

"I'll show you to the bathroom. After you get changed we're going to play a game with everyone, okay? There are less people now since some of the kids are going off to the party outside." He grabbed Arthur's wrist gently and led him through the thinning crowd.

"Why? It's still so early."

"Huh? Oh man, it's already almost ten bro." Arthur was startled. It had already been two hours since he had arrived? How long had he been talking to Matthew? How long had he chased Alfred? Bloody hell, he didn't realize that having so much fun could literally pass the time like that. They arrived at the bathroom and Arthur entered it before closing the door and locking it. He took his chance to use the restroom before he began to change. Upon seeing what he was dressed as he turned bright red and slammed the door open, pulling the cape around his bare legs.

"There's no way in hell I'm wearing this!" He screamed at Alfred. Alfred grinned at him, looking him up and down.

"But it suits you so well! You're my sidekick!"

"Why the devil am I classic Robin when you're the bloody Dark Knight?!"

"Because my outfit has to be more awesome, duh!" Arthur resisted the urge (barely) to choke the boy. He was worried about how exposed his legs were but when he glanced down he saw that a majority of his scars were covered by the tights. The tights were a bit longer than the underwear that Robin wore, luckily. He sighed in relief. "Don't worry." Alfred smiled kindly at him. "I made sure to get tights for you that would cover any of your scars since I know you're sensitive to them." Arthur's heart thudded in his chest. Alfred had paid attention to him that much? Was he that aware of Arthur?

"O-Oh…Thank you." He whispered but Alfred didn't seem to hear him as the Dark Knight took back his cape and put it back on before turning around. Suddenly Arthur realized something. "Wait a tic- DID YOU PLAN FOR THIS TO HAPPEN—"

"Let's go gather everyone for the game!" Alfred interrupted and grabbed Arthur's hand cheerfully and dragged the boy off to find people.

* * *

Within ten minutes a group of the left over teenagers was gathered in a circle. Arthur sat (unfortunately still clad in the Robin outfit) next to the Dark Knight Alfred, Kiku (who was now mysteriously dressed in a slave outfit with a chain around his neck like Feliciano), Ivan (cleaned of the string), Gilbert (also in a slave outfit and looking a little beaten up), Ludwig, Feliciano, Lovino, Elizaveta, Roderich, Antonio (Arthur found out the Spaniard's name really was Antonio) dressed as the hunter from Little Red Riding Hood, the girl who had been with Ivan threatening Gilbert earlier, Vladimir (dressed comically like a vampire), Lukas, a boy Arthur recognized to be Mathias, Lili, Vash, and Matthew. Alfred grinned at them, a foreboding feeling going through the cheery group.

"Alright guys! We're all high schoolers here and you know what I've never played since we got to this school? 'Cake or Pie'!" He chirped.

"I'm out." Matthew stood. Lukas shook his head and Gilbert burst into laughter. Arthur looked around in bewilderment.

"Hey hey hey, wait! You can't!" Alfred cried and grabbed his brother's arm, yanking him back down. "You agreed to play party games with me!"

"I didn't think you'd suggest such a stupid game."

"It's not stupid!"

"What is this game?" Roderich asked looking a bit reluctant to hear the answer. Next to him Elizaveta was smiling a bit devilishly.

"I agree we should play it!"

"How many people don't know what it is?" Alfred called. More than half of the group raised their hands. "Okay, basically it's like Truth or Dare only it's all truth." He placed an empty wine bottle in the middle of the group. "Cake is innocent truth and pie is naughty truths. The person who gets the bottle landed on them must say cake or pie."

"That sounds boring, yes?" Ivan said. The girl next to him nodded, looking angry at everyone in the group and gripping Ivan's arm. Arthur wondered if that was Ivan's girlfriend or something.

Alfred grinned at him coldly. "Is that because you don't have experience with sex, Commie?"

Ivan chuckled and gazed coldly back at Alfred. "Haha, this is funny coming from the virgin American, comrade."

"I'm not a virgin!"

"I already know that." Ivan's eyes twinkled deviously and Alfred's eyes widened and he cursed, his face a little pink from beneath the mask. Arthur looked at them in shock. Were Elizaveta and Gilbert not the only ones with a rough ex-relationship?

"Aw, Al you ruined one of your answers!" Mathias called and tossed the crust of a sandwich at Alfred's face, booing him.

"Oh shut the fuck up, Mathias." Alfred grumbled. "Control your boyfriend, Lukas." Arthur was discovering all kinds of things tonight, it seemed.

"Look, we're not playing this." Vash stated. "I don't really want to hear any more of the shit I already hear at school."

"Vash, is everything alright?" Elizaveta asked, appearing worried and leaning around Ludwig to look. Vash only stood up.

"I'm going to get a drink." Lili fidgeted with her fingers.

"What crawled up his ass and died?" Lovino demanded.

"Ah, you did not see the fight outside?" Antonio asked, looking surprised. "Lili had her first kiss taken away by a drunk-"

"Y-You do not need to say her name!" Lili squeaked, blushing.

"Whoa, you swing that way Lili?" Alfred cried, surprised.

"I-I don't….there's someone I like but she just…" She trailed off.

"Leave her alone already, Alfred." Elizaveta interrupted. "Vash doesn't want to play Cake or Pie so let's choose something else."

"How about 'Seven Minutes in Heaven'?" Vladimir suggested casually. "Everyone knows that game."

"Oh yeah! I'm in for that!" Gilbert called and gave Vladimir a high-five.

"This is so childish." Roderich muttered.

"I agree!" Ivan's girlfriend called.

"Hey, you may get to kiss Ivan." Alfred winked. Ivan paled and the girl cheered up a bit.

"Then I will play."

"Alfred," Vladimir leaned around Arthur to whisper into the boy's ear, "is it really smart? That is his sister, after all."

"She is?" Arthur gasped.

Vladimir nodded. "Natalia is Ivan's younger sister. She has a complex for him. She wants to marry him." Arthur suddenly had a reason to pity the Russian boy.

"Don't worry about it." Alfred blew off Vladimir's worrying. Vladimir shrugged and sat back in place. "Then we all agree on that game?" A few of the players looked to be against it but didn't speak up. "Sweet! Alright, anybody who only hugs or only kisses on the cheek has to change into one of the slave outfits!"

Vash came back then and sat down appearing to have calmed down a bit and carrying a beer. "What did I miss?"

"We're playing Seven Minutes in Heaven." Lovino informed him, looking pissed. "I better not get any fucking guys or I'll shoot someone!" He hefted up a (hopefully fake but realistic) gun, glaring. It looked somewhat comical considering he was in a moo-moo but he still looked like he was part of the mafia. Vash groaned.

"Alright then let's do this!" Alfred called and grabbed the bottle to spin it. Arthur's heart rate suddenly picked up considering he'd never played such a game before. Hell, he'd never even kissed anyone. Tonight, if the bottle landed on him, would be his first kiss. He hoped it was with someone tolerable. Luckily the bottle didn't land on him and instead spun to a stop in front of Natalia. Ivan's pupils shrunk, widening. "Oh, well. Let's go then!" Alfred stood.

"No, I refuse." The girl looked away.

"Oh come on, Natalia! I won't do anything bad, I swear. It's part of the game!" He turned to Mathias. "You got a timer right?" The Danish boy grinned and pulled out his phone.

"Seven minutes on the clock!"

"I do not want to go with anybody but big brother!" Natalia stubbornly refused.

"She does not need to go." Ivan agreed, his eyes narrowing at Alfred.

"It's part of the game!" Alfred sing-songed. "Come on." He grabbed her hand and smiled at her that same smile that made Arthur's heart jump earlier. He frowned as his heart gave a painful thud and wondered if he ate something bad. Natalia gave Alfred a dirty look but stood and followed the American into the closet. Gilbert got up and closed the door.

"So what should we do in the mean time?" Feliciano asked and glanced nervously at Ivan, who was emitting a dark aura. Nobody answered the Italian and the next few minutes were spent in an awkward silence. Finally Mathias ran over to join Gilbert, pressing his ear to the door. Gilbert covered his mouth to smother a laugh and Mathias grinned, liking whatever he was hearing.

A few more minutes later Mathias called time and the door unlocked to allow the couple out. Natalia was a little pink. "I'm sorry, big brother. I will not be wearing that embarrassing outfit." She said as she sat down shyly next to him. Ivan sucked in an angry breath as Alfred smirked and sat back down, his mask now off and sitting next to him. Natalia reached to spin the bottle but Ivan grabbed it and pointed it toward himself.

"Oh it appears I am next, yes?" He stood quickly and grabbed his sister to bring her into the closet, slamming the door. Arthur couldn't believe what he just saw.

"Holy shit, does Ivan actually like his sister?" Antonio asked, leaning into the circle so as to lower his voice.

Ludwig shook his head. "No, he constantly runs from her."

"Nah, he doesn't like her in that way." Alfred laughed a bit.

"Did you actually kiss her, bro?" Matthew asked.

Alfred nodded. "She's cute, what can I say?"

"How did you convince her?" Elizaveta asked. "She always seemed cold to me."

"She's not cold; she's just shy!" Alfred denied. "She's actually really nice when not around Ivan. And I told her that if we kissed, I could guarantee her a kiss from her brother."

"Well flip me over and fuck me sideways, you actually did it." Gilbert said as he plopped down behind Alfred. "I could hear them kissing."

"I know that asshole way too well." He shrugged. "I know how to push his buttons."

"You two will kill each other one day." Vladimir stated, looking a little bored.

"Eh, I doubt it." Mathias called time and the siblings came out of the closet with Ivan looking a little more pleased but still angry at Alfred. The two sat down and Ivan spun and landed on Elizaveta. The girl looked unhappy but followed the Russian into the closet. Ivan came out alone when time was called and a minute later Elizaveta followed now dressed in a slave outfit.

Gilbert burst into laughter. "Hahaha, you wimped out!"

"Shut up!" Elizaveta yelled at him and spun the bottle angrily only for it to point to the object of her teasing. "_Szar._" She cursed in her native language, causing Gilbert to laugh more and jump up.

"Alright, let's do this shit!" He ran into the closet and the girl followed him soon after closing the door.

"You're such an asshole!" Elizaveta called and Gilbert cried out in pain.

"What the hell is your problem, woman? You're always so violent!"

"You keep laughing at me! I'm going to rip your dick off!"

"Hey watch where you put your hands!"

"I can't see anything!" There was a loud thump a crash.

"Watch it, woman!"

"Hey!" Mathias hit the door loudly. "You're supposed to be making out, not fighting!" They didn't seem to hear him though as they reverted to their native languages and yelled at each other.

"Bloody hell." Arthur mumbled under his breath.

Antonio looked at Roderich. "Are you okay with this?"

Roderich sipped something from the cup he had next to him. "I'm not happy but it's not like I wasn't expecting this." He stated regally. Ludwig glanced at him from the corner of his eye, looking a bit exasperated.

"Hey they got quiet." Mathias whispered and everyone quieted down. No more arguing was heard and when Mathias's alarm went off he knocked on the door. "Time's up, guys." Neither of the students exited, though. Mathias glanced at the group in confusion. Ludwig got up.

"_Bruder_, time is up." He grabbed the doorknob and found it unlocked. He opened the door and inside they found Gilbert and Elizaveta pressed heatedly against each other and their mouths completely occupied. One of Gilbert's hands slid up Elizaveta's leg and underneath the slave one-piece to expose the side of her panties a bit. Arthur blushed.

"Whoa, whoa, whoa!" Alfred cried and Elizaveta shoved Gilbert off roughly, causing the Prussian to fall to the floor. Arthur saw Matthew stand quickly and rush out of the room. Elizaveta was bright red and panting. "Guys, making out's fine but no freaking sex!"

"We weren't-" The Hungarian girl's eyes jumped to her boyfriend. "Roderich-" Roderich held up a hand to cut her off, looking upset.

"Don't explain. Let us just continue the game." The girl lowered her head in shame and sat back down next to him as Gilbert picked himself up from the floor. Mathias slapped him on the back with a grin. Gilbert grinned once and then looked around.

"Hey, where's Mattie?" Alfred looked around as well surprised.

"Matt?"

"He ran off after the door was opened." Arthur informed them and pointed towards the stairs. Gilbert developed a distressed look.

"I'll go find him!" He called and hurried off. Nobody spoke, an awkward atmosphere around them.

"Um…So who wants to go for him?" Antonio asked.

"I will." Lukas spoke up, bored.

"You'd better land on me!" Mathias called and quickly got into position in the circle.

"Shut up." The Norwegian spun the bottle. Arthur glanced over towards the stairs hoping that Matthew was alright when he heard Alfred next to him suck in a sharp breath. He turned back to see where the bottle had landed and saw the nose of the bottle pointed directly at him. He looked up sharply at Lukas who met his eyes with a raised eyebrow and stood. A challenge, Arthur recognized. But he was nervous. His first kiss would be with Lukas? What kind of god chose this? True that he and Lukas were of the same element and had the Sight but that did not mean he liked him in such a way. But such were the rules of the game and so he joined Lukas in the closet as the Norwegian's boyfriend groaned outside of the door.

Inside of the closet was pitch black but after a moment a flashlight came on and Lukas's face was illuminated. Arthur's heart was racing. "S-so…"

"If you don't want to kiss you can wear the slave outfit, Robin." Lukas told him. Arthur's face turned a darker shade of red, recalling the ridiculous outfit he had already grown used to wearing. He really didn't want to have to wear the slave outfit. "I'd rather not wear that outfit, though."

"Do you have a problem with kissing me?" Arthur asked him, wondering if another relationship will end up ruined.

"No."

"Okay then." Arthur stepped forward and met Lukas as the boy wrapped his arms around Arthur's waist. They were about the same height as each other so Arthur wasn't sure who should lead the kiss. He wasn't about to give control to the Scandinavian boy though and closed his eyes to meet Lukas's offered ones. A small shock emitted between their lips that had Arthur gasp, sensing Lukas's energy seeping around him as his own aura flared a little to match his. The scent of wintergreen filled the room as their lips moved against each other's slowly –Arthur because of inexperience and Lukas because he didn't want anything passionate. Arthur's arms wrapped around Lukas's neck and pulled him a bit closer, exploring and testing. Hell, if this was his first kiss then he was going to make the most of it. Lukas seemed to understand his want unconsciously and forced apart their lips to effortlessly dominate the English boy's mouth.

A pounding on the door made Arthur jump and pull apart from Lukas. "Your time's up!" Mathias called loudly. Lukas and Arthur released each other and Arthur licked his lips as the door was opened and a peeved Mathias looked between them. A decent distance was between them as they both exited. "Aren't you going to change?"

"No." Lukas stated. "We kissed." He then took his seat. Arthur awkwardly sat down at the gaping Alfred and spun the bottle.

Vladimir leaned into his ear. "That wasn't seven minutes, by the way."

Arthur landed on Roderich but neither could bring themselves to kiss each other so they both changed in the dark and sat down in the slave outfits. Alfred laughed and tugged on Arthur's collar and Arthur swatted at him. Roderich landed on Antonio but seeing as Antonio didn't change at all and Elizaveta was fangirling, Arthur assumed the two kissed. Antonio then landed on Lovino and had to drag the raging boy into the closet. The two were caught kissing with fervor but when caught, Lovino punched Antonio. Next in were the Vargas twins together but Lovino exited dressed differently. Arthur grew bored quickly as the bottle didn't land on him again. Nothing very exciting happened until Lili and Vash went in together and exited with red faces. Neither was wearing new costumes. Elizaveta squealed in excitement. Ivan and Alfred also had to go in together but for the sake of not destroying the Vargas closet the game ended. It was just in time too as it was nearing midnight and the Magick Club needed to leave.

"Thanks for everything!" Feliciano called as the teens began to leave.

"Thank you for inviting us!" They chorused and began walking in their separate directions. The parade had died down and only a few stragglers were left to fall asleep drunk on the streets, go home with their fucks for the night, or just walk home. Arthur grabbed his jack o' lantern quickly as he spotted a "human" with real blood around their mouth.

"I will meet you." Arthur told Lukas and Vladimir. "I need to grab my supplies."

"Us too." Vladimir grinned. "We have about forty-five minutes so let's hurry!" Arthur nodded to them and the two walked off. Arthur turned to leave when his chain was grabbed.

"Guh!" He gasped and turned to see Alfred grinning at him. "Alfred, bloody hell, don't do that!"

"Sorry, but I wanted to get your attention. Can we walk together?" In his arms he carried what Arthur recognized to be Alfred's failed jack o' lantern still lit.

"Why?" Arthur demanded. "I have places to go and your house isn't near mine."

"Please?" Alfred asked again, looking nervous. He looked around them fearfully and bit back a shriek as a ghost passed in between them. Arthur's eyes widened.

"Alfred…can you see them?"

Alfred's head snapped to him. "Y-You can see them too? It's always during Halloween!"

Arthur stared at him. How was this possible? Alfred didn't have the Sight (he didn't even believe in the monsters!) yet here he could see the creatures prowling the night. "What about every other night?"

"It's only during Halloween!"

"Ridiculous." He muttered. "Alright fine, I'll walk you home."

Alfred breathed a sigh of relief and smiled. "Thanks." Arthur shook his head and began to walk with Alfred towards the school dorms. "I would've walked with Matt but I haven't seen him since he ran off." Arthur hoped that he was alright.

"Your lantern will protect you." Arthur assured him gently. "That's what it's there for."

"It doesn't matter! GAH! LOOK AT THAT ONE!" He yelled as he saw the dripping flesh of some undead creature. Arthur grabbed Alfred's chin and forced him to look at him.

"Don't do that. You don't want to attract their attention. You'll offend them."

Alfred whimpered. "Sorry." Arthur patted his cheek and released him. Neither of them spoke any more or looked at the creatures around them pretending that they couldn't see them. Alfred kept flinching closer and closer to Arthur until Arthur sighed and took his hand. He was reminded of his younger brother Peter and how the boy had been terrified when he could see the monsters as well. He gripped Alfred's hand comfortingly. Alfred looked at him, for once not looking scared since they came outside.

Upon arriving at the dorms entrance, Arthur released Alfred's hand. "There. Not so bad, huh?"

"No…Thanks, Artie." Alfred smiled nervously at him. Arthur would've smiled when suddenly his lips were captured by a pair of bigger ones. He gasped but Alfred was away before he could say anything, making a mad dash for the door to the dorms. "For the comfort!" Alfred called as an explanation. "Night!" Arthur refused to acknowledge the blush on his face.

* * *

Arthur arrived late in the forest and changed his outfit so that he was skyclad and carrying his supplies as he entered the area. There was already a campfire going with an alter set up somewhat nearby it. Neither thing were close to the herb garden or any of the trees so that a fire would not occur. Lukas and Vladimir stood nearby in skyclad as well flushed and embarrassed. The altar already had the food and pictures and items on it needed for the ritual. Arthur moved to set up the candles before he motioned for the other two to take their positions just outside the circle of candles.

"Hey…" Vladimir spoke up, "is being skyclad necessary? This is embarrassing…"

"It's not necessary. It is optional. I told you that." Arthur stated, completely at ease. The candles were lit and already he could feel the magickal aura of the elements whispering and waiting to be invited to join in with the ritual. The elements were his old friends and the earth felt good on his toes. "You can still change. I choose to be skyclad during such rituals because it is how I was taught and what I am most comfortable with. My grandmother taught me this way."

"Whoa, your grandmother taught you this?" Arthur flushed.

"She only instructed me but never showed me!"

"Oh, okay."

"Anyway, if you want to change then do it fast. You need to enter the circle completely relaxed and happy and you can't have any negative feelings."

"Nobody will show up, right?"

"I don't believe anyone will find us." Arthur assured him.

"I'm fine." Lukas spoke up. He appeared to already be adjusting. Arthur looked to Vladimir who sighed slowly.

"Okay. I'll be fine."

"Alright. Usually it is the eldest who does the chant when a High Priest or Priestess is not present but because neither of you two have done this before, I will lead." Arthur's hips began to sway slightly and he closed his eyes, his head tilting back. He listened to the music of the trees as the wind blew through them and allowed his body to turn. The crackle of the fire added the drums needed and the chirping of birds were his flutes. He began to hum in the Celtic language he had learned, unable to help as his feelings of ease expressed himself. His feet began to move as his eyes opened to half mast and he danced around the outside of the circle.

"What are you doing?" Lukas asked. Arthur's trance was not broken.

"Dancing allows one's magick to build up. Excitement, expression, joy; all of these are good. You may dance if you wish. Close your eyes and let nature be your music. Call the world around you. Ground yourself. Center yourself." He whispered and spun. This time it was Vladimir who picked up first and began to move as well. Their feet thumped together in rhythm with each other and within a few moments Lukas joined in. Arthur began to sing out loud before he called upon the elements to join them and chanted.

When ready Arthur's body slowed a stop and soon so did Lukas's and Vladimir's. Arthur could tell both were completely relaxed. The three pulled out their athames and entered the circle before closing their doors and sat down at the altar with the food on it (Arthur had not prepared any). The atmosphere within the circle was warm but not hot. The scent of autumn produce and pies were emitting in the air, filling Arthur's lungs. Arthur chanted again, asking the gods to join them in their meal before serving the group their food.

"…My grandmother," he started, "was the only one who taught me of this way of life. She taught me to be connected with the earth and sky."

"It sounds as if you care a lot about her." Vladimir nodded.

"Is this her?" Vladimir motioned towards a picture of an elderly woman sitting on the altar. Arthur felt her presence within the circle within them and for the first time in the presence of anybody else he smiled.

"Yes, that is her. She died because of me."

"Why's that?" Arthur didn't respond and shook his head.

"We are here to honour the spirits, not sadden us with their deaths." The other two nodded in agreement. The three spent their time leisurely chatting about those that had passed that were dear to them. Arthur had plenty of people he wished to talk about but chose not to for the sake of his own good mood. The area he was in was comfortable and he did not need to draw upon negative entities with his bad emotions. This was a sacred place and he chose to keep it that way.

With the food finished a plate set aside as an offering Arthur took up the wine bottle and filled his chalice with it. He tipped the chalice back and drank the contents before sighing and feeling the buzz of the alcohol. He refilled it for Lukas who drank it before also filling it for Vladimir. With the last of the wine Arthur left the chalice next to the offered food and stood as Vladimir chanted to the spirits, thanking them. When all was finished, they closed the circle and began to pack up. Arthur stood with his friends and they gazed at each other. He felt that the three of them were much closer now after sharing this ritual. There was a brotherhood between them. He was sure that he could trust them. Maybe one day he could tell them the truth behind his horrible life. But that was for another day.

Arthur bowed to them. "Blessed be." He murmured and grabbed his supplies. He left his chalice and the food for overnight and would come back for it on November second.

"Blessed be." The other two murmured back and they left in good company.

* * *

**A/N: Holy shit, finally done. I beat the 9000 word mark, fuck. But here we go. OTL And here I told myself I wouldn't do USUK in this chapter but yet here I did. I'm such a bad girl.**

**Can we just make a check list of all the pairings I just hinted at in here?**

**Btw: Free cookies to those who guess which movie I took the "rules" from**

**For the love of god, Review. XDD Don't you think this puppy deserves a bone after I wrote all of this?**


	10. Irony

**A/N: ****I NEED TO WORK ON BROTHER COMPLEX-**

**Onwards!**

* * *

**Chapter 9: Irony**

_It had started out as a desperate attempt to make a friend._

_Arthur could tell that –even though he was only semi-aware of his unconsciousness- what he was seeing was a dream. The scene was a hauntingly familiar but the background was vague and dark which allowed Arthur to understand this was in fact a dream. In front of his stood his ten year old self –who was completely unaware of Arthur's presence (but then again Arthur wasn't even sure what state he existed in) – preparing for the worst mistake Arthur had ever made in his life._

_Arthur felt physically and violently sick as his younger self began to chant the words to summon his soon-to-be "friend". He could sense Jeanne (not on his form but on the rock nearby the circle) protesting profusely but he knew that his younger self couldn't hear her. Back then he hadn't been aware enough. The full moon's light filtered through the tree leaves and into the circle younger Arthur had created to bring the creature to life in this world. An unwillingly impressed part of Arthur noted proudly (not for the first time) the strength and amount of magick his young body had contained considering usually it wasn't until a person was twelve or eighteen did they become magickally adept._

_The wind around them began to gust as horror pulsed through Arthur's form as his younger self –blissfully naïve- continued his chanting. "Stop!" Arthur cried futilely. He couldn't even move closer. Something was already coming. The sounds of the animals and night time did not exist in this dream. The dream skipped ahead suddenly –almost as if Arthur had looked away from a television show for a few moments and then looked back._

_He was inside of the house now. The door was locked and now he was his younger self. His body moved as if pre-programmed. His form was trembling as he peeked through the window, already knowing what he would see outside. The figure out there seemed to take on the shape of the darkness, wiggling and reshaping itself as it became acquainted with this new world that it was suddenly in. It didn't have a vessel which was usually a necessity when summoning a daemon but Arthur hadn't exactly been the smartest child as he had tried to do dark magick far above his level –magick that he shouldn't have even done to begin with. The form continued to shift before it finally grasped onto Arthur's presence. Arthur could feel the connection between them –the promise Arthur had made with the creature unknowingly. His child self couldn't have known what he had sacrificed to bring the being into existence in this world. It was only through self-study as he had looked up ways to protect himself did he realize what he had given up._

_The daemon's form stopped shifting and instead settled into the form of a young girl, who slowly turned to meet his eyes. Arthur's knees nearly buckled under him, emotional and mental pain filling him and nearly crippling him. Only self-preservation kept him up by this point. The girl had been a person who would've been –under more normal circumstances- considered Arthur's first love. As it was the girl had betrayed him –had broken his heart- and left him further in his pit of loneliness and despair. He cringed whenever he thought of her. She had been the one to break his fragile trust in people at such a young age. Naturally a daemon meant to take on the form of a person's worst fears would take on the form of his loneliness and insecurities._

_The girl's eyes were black in the sclera and the irises were red. She smiled sinisterly and Arthur could almost hear a voice whisper, "I can't wait to see you up close." _

_His legs felt like jelly as he backed away from the window. His pulse was thick in his neck. He had to run. He had to hide and somehow call his family. Where was the phone? What was his grandmother's number? She would never make it there in time. Arthur looked around rapidly, tears in his eyes, when the doorbell rang. He froze, ice water running through his veins. He couldn't bring himself to look at the door. It rang again and he could sense the creature asking to come in. He ran and barely made it around the corner when he heard the door open by itself._

_Air puffed from his chest as he threw stuff in the path of the daemon, petrified. He grabbed a knife and threw it at the daemon, who was walking casually towards him as if this was a simple child's game and smiling all of the way. The daemon dodged the knife. Arthur sobbed. "Get away!" He screamed and turned tail and ran upstairs as fast as he could. He had no choice: he had to hide. He knew he wouldn't escape. This was his end. He was going to die. He slammed into the bedroom and closed the door locking it before looking around quickly for a place to hide. His heart's pace was so fast it was a miracle he hadn't passed out. There was no place to hide in his tiny bedroom. The bed wasn't tall enough to slide under and he didn't have time to hide behind the desk. His tiny closet was his only choice so he ran into it and shut the door locking it tight._

_He bit back his sobs fearful of being heard as he covered his head and tears dripped from his shut eyes. He could hear the soft footsteps of the monster girl in the hallways of the house searching for him. He just needed to wait things out behind the clothing. Maybe he could survive. He prayed to the gods to save him and he apologized for everything that he had done. The scent of piss faintly wafted through the air but at that moment he didn't care that he had soiled himself. He wished that his brothers were there. He wished his grandmother was there. She would always sing to him when he was scared. He wished that he had his stones. Why had he summoned that daemon? He was an idiot._

_**Knock knock.**__ Arthur's body stiffened as he heard a knock on his bedroom door. He held his breath. He couldn't understand what the daemon was saying as it spoke (was it even speaking?) in another language. The doorknob turned and with a dreaded squeak of the hinges the door opened. Footsteps entered the room and paused before searching around. Arthur knew this was it. The door to the closet opened slowly and he sobbed once before the creature whispered, "I found you." The eyes of the daemon brightened considerably and the smile widened. "You're it."_

_Cold seeped into Arthur's body causing him to gasp and collapse to the ground. He screamed, feeling something overcome him. He was losing control. He was scared. He was afraid to die. He didn't want to die. _Don't worry_. A voice whispered in his mind and they sounded terrifyingly like his own although he knew they were not, _I'll make sure you live a happy life._ It was the last thing Arthur consciously recalled._

* * *

Arthur woke up from his nightmare with a stiff body staring at a dark ceiling. Tears trailed from his eyes and his bed was wet with a mixture of sweat and what he was sure was piss. He rolled out of bed swiftly to cough and then vomit up the contents of his stomach onto the floor. His body shook with spasms and he couldn't keep still. He rolled onto his side but a creak of the floors had him jumping to his feet only to cough up more vomit and send him back to his knees. He couldn't clear his throat's passageway fast enough for the hysteric sobs trying desperately to break free from his chest. He fell to his elbows and knees and gripped his hair as he sobbed but realized quickly that he couldn't be so loud or he would wake Allistier. He couldn't wake his family with his problems. His problems were his own to solve.

He yanked his pillow from the bed, causing Jeanne –who had been underneath of it, to land on the floor near him. She hadn't broken but Arthur cradled her as if he had hurt her even though he knew he hadn't. He gripped her tightly in his palm, the metal of the design wrapped around her stone digging into his palm as he buried his face into his pillow and heaved muffled sobs, practically screaming his pain into the material. There were no words to describe his pain so he wailed nonexistent words into his pillow in hopes that it would hear them and hold his secrets as it had for so long.

In his mind he could see Jeanne and he allowed for the distraction on focusing on what she looked like. She was a lovely young girl with light brown hair and worried but kind blue eyes. She was wearing a pale pink-almost-white sun dress that reached her knees and had a frill trim down the sides and circled the hems and the straps. She didn't wear shoes while they were inside. She kneeled next to Arthur and didn't say anything as she took him into her arms. She couldn't have been older than Arthur himself –she looked like she was probably younger, actually, but she changed her age often so it was difficult to tell- but she held him as a mother would. He imagined that he could feel her warmth as he loving aura made its way around his body in warm but thin and small sheets that settled over him like down. She was trying her best to soothe him.

Arthur cried into her arms wondering why he even bothered to live. Why should he continue living? Why did he bother sleeping? The pain of both was excruciating. **"_Don't say such things."_** Jeanne reprimanded softly as she stroked his hair. He felt embarrassed that she was seeing him in such a state but he had grown up with her and she had seen him in possibly every state possible besides perhaps bliss and death. Arthur wondered why he shouldn't think such things. They were true, were they not? **_"Of course not."_** Jeanne read his thoughts. **_"You're wanted and loved here. You need your sleep._"** Before Arthur could contradict what she was telling him, she began to sing softly the same song that his grandmother would sing to him to calm him down. It worked instantly, causing his limbs to slowly unwind and relax. His sobbing began to gradually subside and by the end of the song his tears had stopped although his body still shook badly.

"Thank you." He whispered and pulled his face back from the pillow. He still felt her presence but her form was faded now in his mind as he didn't concentrate on her. He stood on his legs and nearly collapsed again as his one leg had fallen asleep. Had he really been sitting there that long? He shook out the numbness and waited for the pins and needles before he painfully limped towards the bathroom, stripping along the way. He pulled his pants off after his legs were back to normal and he discarded his soiled clothing to the side. He could do the wash later. He still had a few hours before the sun would even rise, let alone before he had to go to school. He glanced at his bathroom clock and saw that it had only been roughly two hours since he had fallen asleep. That horrible nightmare had lasted less than two hours. Why did dreams have to feel like millennia?

He stepped under the hot spray of the shower and allowed himself to soak in it gratefully. Water was not his element but he cherished it like it was his element. Water was healing and flowed effortlessly but not as carelessly as air did. It washed over rock and smoothed out its bumps and calmed fires. It wrapped Arthur peacefully in its flow and he concentrated on cleansing himself with the hot water. He let his negative emotions run off of him but still his limbs trembled. He didn't expect them to stop anytime soon. He finished his shower after bathing and then went downstairs to do some chores to distract himself. When he started the washing machine he made himself some tea before he sat down to read over spells he had long since memorized. He sighed gently into his tea. It would be once again be another restless night.

* * *

Arthur could barely drag himself to school later on that morning. The sun burned his eyes and his bag felt more cumbersome than it had felt on previous days, as if someone had shoved rocks into the very fabric of the bag. He twice nearly walked into people but dodged around them at the last minute. He couldn't wait for the day to end already. He wanted to sleep but couldn't. An arm wrapped around his shoulder and he looked tiredly to his side to see Feliciano grinning at him.

"_Ciao_, Arthur! Oh!" Feliciano opened his eyes to gaze at Arthur worryingly. "You look exhausted!" Arthur only nodded and moved to head towards his classroom which was his usual route but a gentle tug had him following Feliciano to somewhere at random. He couldn't even summon the strength to fight against him. He was led to a pavilion where there were lunch tables. The air was chilly but the doors to the school were open so the tables nearest to the open doors received heat. This was where Arthur was sat down. With a start he realized he had zoned out and discovered himself sitting next to Vash, Lili, Matthew, Gilbert, Ivan, and Alfred. Alfred sat to Arthur's immediate left, sharing the two-seater bench with him. Arthur allowed Alfred's warm and active aura wrap around him graciously, not even caring that he should be more attentive of what he was doing. He found himself slowly leaning towards the boy, unconsciously seeking him as his eyes drifted shut. He couldn't even focus on what his friends were saying.

"You don't look so good, Artie." Arthur started awake and jerked away from Alfred, realizing that he had been leaning on his chest. Alfred hadn't seemed to have been complaining but Arthur mentally berated himself for doing something so stupid. He needed to stay awake while at school.

"Arthur, have you been sleeping well?" Lili asked, concerned. Arthur discovered that the rest of their group of friends –Vladimir, Elizaveta, Ludwig, and Kiku- had shown up at some point during Arthur's dozing.

"No." Arthur admitted and rubbed his eyes, widening them in hopes it would help keep them open.

"You _have_ appeared to be more tired than usual." Vladimir said, gazing at him curiously. He watched each of Arthur's moves as he dug without looking into his bag for something. He pulled out a can of coffee moments later and started drinking from it.

"Insomnia?" Ivan asked, leaning his large body forward to look at Arthur more directly.

"Yes."

"Here." Ivan pulled from his pocket a small bottle of pills. Arthur took them gingerly and read the bottle. They were sleeping aids to help with insomnia. They didn't appear to be prescription so Arthur felt a little safer. "You may have some. They are quite helpful." Arthur looked at the Russian, touched by his concern but slightly suspicious of him.

"Why would you need them?" He asked as he popped off the cap and pulled two of the pills out before handing the bottle back.

Ivan smiled at him. "It is difficult to sleep in my house, is all." He said. "I've have been an insomniac since I lived in my country."

"…Thank you, Ivan." Arthur said sincerely. Alfred made a face at the pills, as if he didn't trust them. He passed Arthur his carton of milk that he had gotten with his breakfast. Arthur didn't exactly like the idea of drinking after him but then again Alfred had already kissed him before so what was an indirect kiss? He blushed slightly as he remembered the kiss and quickly downed the pills. The bell rang then, initiating the shift in the student body towards their respective classrooms. Vash and Lili stood with Vash holding her hand.

"I'll take you to your class." He said to her with a soft smile Arthur knew was reserved only for her. He felt that a tension between them was gone now that they were dating. Lili nodded and waved goodbye before she was led off by her brother. The rest of the group walked together, discussing stuff that had happened last night. Arthur ignored their chatter instead focusing on the feeling of belonging. He actually had a group now to call his own. An arm was wrapped around his shoulder and he could tell simply from the feeling of it that it was Alfred. He nudged him hard in the ribs with his elbow in order to get him off.

Alfred grunted. "Watch it, man. I'm trying to help Sleeping Beauty to class."

"Shut up, you oaf." Arthur muttered and shook Alfred' arm off, stubbornly refusing the help. He could make it to class without being led like a dog. Alfred made a face at him which got a couple of giggles from Gilbert but Arthur firmly ignored him and said goodbye to his friends as he and his classmates walked into Allistier's classroom. He took his seat with Kiku behind him and Alfred beside him and turned to Kiku. "How have you been?" He asked, wanting to start up some idle chat while they waited for the final bell to ring.

Kiku chuckled softly and patted Arthur's hand. "I've been fine. You haven't been taking care of yourself, though."

Arthur flushed slightly. "It can't be helped." He murmured. "I can't control my dreams."

"Oh? _Seitekina yume? Alfred wa_?" He teased. Arthur looked at him bewildered, not understanding what he had said but knowing that he had teased him by his tone of voice and that Alfred had been involved.

"Hey, I heard that!" Alfred turned around and shot a look at Kiku with slightly pink cheeks. Kiku chuckled softly behind a hand. "Jeez, don't say embarrassing stuff like that!"

"What did he say?" Arthur asked, curious.

"Nothing!" Alfred said and turned back around refusing to answer Arthur no matter what. Kiku only shook his head when Arthur asked him too, leaving the British boy frustrated. It was of little consequence anyway.

"I didn't know you spoke Japanese." Arthur asked Alfred, looking at him.

"I know a little bit of most of the languages in this school." Alfred told him, looking a little proud of himself. "I can read in Japanese and speak it somewhat. I know some German. I'm sketchy with Hungarian but I'm good at French and I know enough Russian to get me past in a fight with Ivan and to know what shit he's saying behind my back." Arthur felt slightly impressed by Alfred.

"You must be good with languages."

"Yup!" Allistier arrived later than the bell and began setting up a PowerPoint, turning off the lights. Arthur could feel drowsiness seeping into his limbs and being. He had to keep awake. Allistier would kill him if he fell asleep in the middle of his class. But Ivan's pills seemed to be kicking in quickly. By thirty minutes into the class, Arthur could barely support his own head. He felt as if gravity was working against him and he certainly couldn't keep his eyes open. He had been sitting for a good five minutes already with his eyes basically glued shut. He couldn't open them to save his life.

He felt a warm hand brush his fringe up and he turned his head slowly to look at Alfred but kept his eyes closed. Alfred laughed softly, his laugh warm and happy. "You're falling asleep." Arthur tried to say something sarcastically along the lines of, "Am I really? I couldn't tell" but it came out as a mumble of words that even his own ears couldn't comprehend. "Here, lay down." His head was led tenderly down onto what felt like a jacket and Arthur grasped that it was Alfred's letterman jacket from football. "I'll cover for you. You need sleep." Arthur didn't have time to thank Alfred before he fell under sleep's spell.

_Darkness surrounded Arthur on all sides as he walked. He wasn't sure of where he was but he had a foreboding feeling. Dreams like this tended to turn into nightmares. A figure appeared up ahead so Arthur moved towards them. He slowly began to recognize the figure and the ghost of the scent of cinnamon caused joy to radiate within him. Still he did not speed up and eventually he arrived to stand with his grandmother. He wasn't sure what to say. He opened his mouth to greet her when a disappointed look overcame her withered face._

"_Oh Arthur, what have you done?" She whispered, her clothing shifting to become new clothing occasionally but no mind was paid towards it. Arthur was alarmed._

"_Wha-What?"_

"_You killed me."_

"_I-I didn't!" Arthur stammered as he took a step backwards. His grandmother matched him by stepping forward._

"_You killed all of us." Arthur whipped around and saw the gory and mangled forms of children and adults alike. He knew all of them despite their states. They would've made good fodder for a zombie movie. They moved towards him, angry as they encircled him._

"_I just wanted to make you happy." Arthur turned to his right to see Miss Hersley, a young bachelorette who couldn't have been more than twenty-five. Short and curly golden blonde hair highlighted her heart-shaped face. Her chest was completely ripped apart and he could see that her arms were twisted and broken. She had died from falling off of a building after being violently attacked by "something". Arthur remembered his tender days at fifteen when this woman would bake him sweets and calmed him during his "angry" phase in life. He had been there to experience her death having not been strong enough to have been able to stop his daemon._

_Arthur bit his hand and backed away, tears flowing down his face. These were all people that he had known and some of which he had cared about. But that was the reason they had to die. "What did I ever do to you?" Arthur shivered at the soft voice next to him and looked to his right. A young boy no older than twelve stood there, his eyes gouged out and an arm missing. His black hair dripped with blood from where his skull was exposed and broken. Claw marks were around his eyes. "I was bullied like you. I never hurt you, so why did you kill me?" Tears ran from the eye sockets, blending with the blood on his face. Arthur felt like vomiting._

"_I didn't!" Arthur breathed out as more of a feeling that his lungs were deflating the hot air. He couldn't breathe back in._

"_You did!" All of the corpses accused. Arthur covered his ears, unwillingly remembering the boy. His name had been Augustus which had caused the other kids to tease him mercilessly about _Charlie and the Chocolate Factory_ exclaiming he had tainted their chocolate and would throw the half-eaten sweets at the child. Augustus hadn't even been particularly fat but he had been growing out of his baby fat. Arthur and Augustus had been bullied together being called fags with each other and such. Augustus had been the closest Arthur had gotten to a friend._

_Augustus had been possessed by the daemon and clawed his own eyes out at the horrors he thought he saw while Arthur had tried desperately to stop him but the door to the classroom had been locked and nothing he could do could've opened the door. Arthur hadn't stayed around long enough to see the boy's arm ripped off as he had tried to find a weapon to bash the door open. By the time he had come back, Augustus had been lying in a pool of his own blood deceased. Arthur knew from the reports on the television that Augustus had bashed his own head against the corner of the desk until he had died._

"_N-no…!" Arthur whimpered and tried to get away from them, afraid of seeing and facing his past. Hands grabbed him and the people taunted him, mocked him, and lamented their deaths. At every turn Arthur was blamed and reminded of the horrors his "friend" had committed. The hands started shaking him and screamed his name. He covered his ears again but they were pulled away. He struggled and saw his daemon approaching him grinning in a form Arthur thought he recognized and felt personally close to but he couldn't comprehend who it was. He realized these people were trying to sacrifice him to the daemon. "No!" He cried, desperately struggling._

"Arthur!" Arthur's eyes snapped open and all he could comprehend were the very real hands gripping him. He shrieked and threw himself away from the hands, bringing down his chair and desk with him with a loud clamor. He scrambled to the wall, groping frantically for an exit. He could hear his name being called and he whipped around to press himself back flush against the wall, mad eyes whipping around wildly. The class had crowded in front of him but most were faceless blurs. His eyes found Alfred but his mind –still hazy from his dream- saw a mutilated version of the boy. Despite anxious eyes his hair was covered with blood along with his hands and his chest had a gaping hole where his heart should've been. Beside him was Kiku, who looked like he had been mauled to death by a rogue animal. Arthur comprehended to his sheer terror that the headless figure next to the Asian was his friend Vash. Ivan stood nearby also with worried eyes but those eyes were that of the daemon –only the irises were luminescent purple instead of red- and that caused Arthur to scream again, startling them. He ducked his head and hid in a fetal position, sobbing relentlessly and whispering pleas.

"Get out o' the way!" Allistier barked and shoved past his students quickly. "He needs room!" Allistier fell to his knees in front of Arthur and shook him but that only caused Arthur to curl in more on himself. "Arthur! Arthur, ye bloody idiot brother, _look at me!"_ Allistier grabbed Arthur's hair and yanked. Arthur whimpered and squeezed his eyes shut only to find himself with a face full of water. He gasped and his eyes shot open, coming to his senses a bit. A moment later a sharp slap caused his face to scream and he cried out. "Calm the fuck down." Allistier commanded seriously and Arthur stared at him with widened eyes. Allistier released his brother's hair and instead gripped his shoulders firmly. "You're safe."

Finally Arthur snapped out of his disillusioned state and gazed around the room in slight confusion. The class had listened to their teacher and had backed up to give Arthur space. Nobody was dead or injured. Alfred, Ivan, Kiku, and Vash all looked normal and unharmed. That of itself almost made Arthur sob with relief. Nobody spoke as the boy gathered his bearings. Finally he turned his head to see his brother rise and scan his students. "Kiku," he said.

"_Hai!_" Kiku stood stiff at attention.

"Take Arthur to the infirmary."

"I can take him!" Alfred volunteered but Allistier shot him down.

"I already got someone." Kiku moved forward and gently grasped Arthur's arm. Arthur grunted.

"I can stand myself." He murmured and climbed shakily to his feet. His legs were still trembling violently and he almost fell again. Kiku quickly caught his arm and gently held him.

"I will only help." Kiku promised softly. Arthur gazed at him with watery eyes, his emotions running rampant. He wanted to cry simply because of Kiku's kindness. He sniffled once and lowered his head some to hide his face in shame before allowing Kiku to lead him out the door. As they exited they heard Allistier command the class to sit back down. There were concerned murmurs. They walked quietly with Arthur for the most part supporting himself. Neither boy spoke for a while until they reached the stairs. Kiku held Arthur's hand (Arthur refused to believe that he was blushing from the touch) and Arthur held the railing with his other hand as they descended.

"Are you feeling better?" Kiku asked after they reached the bottom and moved to go down the second set of stairs.

"Yes, thank you." Kiku gripped Arthur's hand just a bit tighter kindly and smiled at him. Arthur's heart jumped a little and hid his face again, allowing to be led by the hand.

"That was quite a nightmare."

Arthur chuckled sardonically. "You have no idea." He muttered. They continued their walk in silence. Arthur didn't really need Kiku's physical support any longer but he liked knowing that the Asian boy was there for him. His hand was smaller than his and warm. He could feel his soothing aura spreading into his own hand calming him more.

Kiku opened the door and both boys walked into the infirmary. He had expected it to smell almost similar to a hospital or a doctor's office but instead Arthur discovered that it smelled of herbs. The room wasn't very large with a few seats placed against the wall next to the door to allow students to come in and sit down. There were five beds with three of them looking similar to the chaise joked about in movies. Two of the beds had privacy curtains that wrapped around all of the way. Behind a desk to the left sat a cabinet filled with medical needs but most were surprisingly just herbs. A pot of tea sat steeping on the counter with a stethoscope near a microwave and sink.

Arthur read a couple of the bottles in the cabinet. "Some of these medications aren't suitable for a school nurse." He mused out loud.

"He serves as a doctor as well." Kiku informed him, glancing around for the doctor. "There isn't a hospital in this town so people need to go out of town for major problems, but Yao-san is certified to be a doctor." Arthur turned to him recalling hearing that name somewhere before. He was about to ask where from when another student walked in. His dark brown-black hair was tied in a loose ponytail and he wore the uniform without the school blazer. His vest was more of a golden tan than white like Arthur's was so he recognized that this person was of Asian origin (even though it was obvious by the person). Instead of the plaid pants he wore dark blue slacks. Technically it was out of dress code but Gilbert practically blew off the dress code so Arthur didn't really care. On the boy's back was some type of basket backpack that he recognized as items used to gather plants in. Inside of the basket was a panda doll. By guessing Arthur assumed he was Chinese. He looked to be Arthur's age or perhaps younger. Arthur quickly released Kiku's hand.

"_Zǎo ān__." _ The boy greeted and turned to Kiku. "Are you sick? I told you to watch your salt intake-"

"Ah, it is not me." Kiku denied quickly, appearing embarrassed and faintly annoyed by it. "Yao-san, this is Arthur." He introduced. "Arthur, this is our local doctor."

Arthur was floored. "You're the doctor? But you're far too young!"

Yao ignored Arthur's blatant rudeness and sat him down in a chair before going over to the pot and pouring a cup of tea into a cup decorated with intricate designs depicting dragons. He picked up the stethoscope and said, "I get that a lot-aru." Arthur blinked at the verbal tic. _Great,_ he thought, _even the doctor is weird._ America was outrageous, he decided. "What seems to be the problem?" He sipped his tea.

Arthur was half-tempted to ask for some. He could smell some lemongrass in it. "Nothing…I just need to sleep…"

Kiku frowned in his direction as Yao raised an eyebrow. Arthur could practically read what he was thinking. Kiku spoke up instead, "Arthur has been having bad nightmares, which have been keeping him up."

"I see." Yao went to the cabinet and Arthur sighed realizing that he would have to take more pills. He would rather not. He didn't like pills. Instead Yao pulled out various herbs and began to blend them. Arthur couldn't help himself and walked over to join him, wanting to know what he was going to be drinking. He recognized lavender, St. John's Wort, and poppy, but there were a few others he didn't recognize. They were probably herbs from the East that Arthur was still patchy on.

"Are you an herbal doctor?"

"I can use either method." Yao informed him absentmindedly as he worked. "I prefer to use herbs if it is for such things like sleep." He began to grind the herbs and a fresh and spicy scent began to fill the room. Arthur walked over to join Kiku who was sitting on one of the beds. The three sat in a comfortable silence. Arthur dozed with his head dipping on occasion but he refused to fall asleep. He couldn't risk it again. Yao's voice snapped him back to consciousness, "This mixture," he said as he began to boil the herbs, "will allow you to sleep dreamlessly." Arthur felt his anxious bubble within his chest pop in relief.

"Okay." He responded. They waited for the tea to seep completely in a separate pot from Yao's tea before the doctor poured it into a cup and brought it to Arthur.

"Drink it straight." Arthur nodded and carefully began to sip, mindful of the heat. Kiku watched him as he drank and Yao took a seat in a chair nearby, pulling out his panda and toying with its ears.

Arthur decided to bring up a topic while they were waiting for him to finish the tea and for the effects to kick in. "Why do you dress like a student?"

Yao shrugged. "Because I can." He stated. "They're my old clothes from when I went here." Arthur then recalled where he had heard Yao's name before. Was he acquaintances with Ivan and Alfred? Unconsciously he tucked his growing hair (he would need to have it cut soon) in front of his dragon earring, self-conscious and protective of the jewelry.

When Arthur finished his tea he lay down in the bed and removed his shoes before he pulled the blanket over himself. He removed the blazer as well as Kiku smiled a little at him. Arthur gave him a thankful look before he lay back down and closed his eyes. His body was thankful that his heavy eyelids had finally closed and he knew he wouldn't be able to open his eyes again without much struggle. He could already feel himself falling. The taste in his mouth was somewhat bitter but familiar. He fell asleep before he heard Kiku get up to leave. As Yao had told him, he slept dreamlessly. At first he didn't sleep very deeply as he drifted in and out, up and down, deeper and shallower in the darkness. It was comfortable. At times he heard others' voices but most he didn't recognize. Some of them he applied to faces in his mind. Elizaveta had come to visit him and check in as well as he thought Allistier had as well (although that hardly seemed possible). Alfred and his friends visited, causing Arthur to stir some and be drawn out of the watery depths of sleep. However before he fully woke up, Yao rushed the company out. Soon after Arthur fell into a deep sleep.

* * *

Murmured voices broke through his slumber. "Don't you think he's been asleep long enough?"

"Yeah, probably." The voices drifted out for a moment before they came back. "Alright, wake him up. I gotta go back to…"

"Alright. Arthur?" He felt a hand gently shake his shoulder and Arthur stirred, his eyebrows wrinkling. "Arthur, wake up." Reluctantly Arthur blinked his eyes open. He blinked sluggishly before he turned his head towards the voice. At first he had thought it was Alfred but he placed the voice to the name and remembered that it was Matthew.

"'Ello…?" He mumbled, confused. The room didn't look like the infirmary. "Where am I?"

Matthew smiled at him, standing over Arthur's bed. "You're in our dorm room."

"Dorm room?"

"Mine and Alfred's."

"How did I get here?" He sat up and looked around the room, rubbing an eye and frowning. The warm smell of oil permeated the air along with the crackling of cooking. Something was being fried and from the smell of it, it was probably chicken. There were other foods as well but he couldn't tell what they were over the heavy scent of fried chicken. The dorm room was about the size of Arthur's living room with the bed he had been sleeping on pressed to the far left wall of the door and a bed was above him. The opposite wall held a dresser and small closet door. The back wall opposite of the front door contained a kitchen with a table in it and where a shirtless and damp Alfred stood cooking. A bathroom door stood off to the side wide open. There was a hamper in there piled with clothing. The walls were covered with posters from various places from Canada and America with an assortment of sports teams, bands, and a flag from each of the countries.

"I carried you!" Alfred called and turned from the stove to grin at him. "You must've been exhausted if you couldn't even wake up!"

"Why would you carry me here?" He asked. There were other places he could've gone. Couldn't Allistier have brought him home? Had he really been sleeping that deeply? "Why didn't you just leave me there?"

"Yao had to go to his office so we decided to bring you here."

"More like you did." Matthew contradicted him, rolling his eyes and moving over to the dresser to sip from a glass that was sitting there. "You wouldn't even let me help carry him."

"He wasn't heavy."

"You almost fell down the stairs."

"No I-OW!" Alfred hissed and jumped back from the stove and rubbed his chest. Arthur watched the boy's hand intently as if it was drawing a beautiful picture on a beautiful canvas.

Matthew laughed at him. "I told you to put on a shirt if you were going to skillet-fry chicken." Alfred scowled at him.

"I didn't want to! You know I don't wear shirts after showers."

"That's your life decision, bro."

Arthur finally tore his eyes away and stood up to yawn widely. "I suppose I should be going home then." He wondered how late it was and dug into his pocket to look at his phone. It was nearing seven in the evening. Oh damn, he didn't think he had slept that long.

"Really? I would think you're hungry since you skipped lunch." Alfred scooped out a plate of the chicken and placed it on the table as Matthew walked over to put the mashed potatoes and gravy and green beans into separate bowls. Arthur's stomach growled violently, angry that it had been neglected for so long. Arthur fidgeted, unsure if he wanted to join them. But the food looked good and he knew it was homemade. Alfred smirked at him and waved his hand over the chicken so that the scent would waft towards the British boy, taunting him. Arthur glared at him a bit before he joined them at the table, sitting down with a plate placed in front of him. Matthew poured him some lemonade kindly as Alfred grabbed silverware.

"Do you always cook meals like this?" Arthur asked as the boys joined him at the table. They started spooning out their plates and after a moment Arthur joined them grabbing his fill.

"Only about once a week." Matthew said. "We take turns and it was Al's."

"We like having homemade meals once in a while, you know?" Alfred agreed, ripping a chunk off of the breast of his chicken. Arthur calmly stabbed his beans and popped them into his mouth. "Plus I don't want to have Canadian food all of the time."

"You love my food." Matthew accused. Alfred grumbled something under his breath that Arthur thought sounded something along the lines of "Bagged milk" and "bullshit".

"That reminds me." Arthur glanced around the room. "I thought you two were brothers? How is it that you're from two countries?"

Both of the brothers laughed. "We're not brothers." Matthew said. "We're actually cousins. Our dads are twin brothers and we kind of inherited their traits, which is why we look alike."

"Even though I don't think we look alike at all. Look at his girly-ass hair!" Alfred pointed at him with a fork. Matthew ignored him. The three of them talked about idle things as they ate. Arthur was half tempted to smile but he couldn't fully bring himself to. The gory image he had seen of Alfred earlier in his class had left a scarring impression on him. He was scared for himself and his friends all of the sudden. Would they be alright? Was this some type of premonition? He didn't like it at all. He didn't like coincidences such as that. Why was it always when he'd been away from his daemon for too long he started having nightmares like that? He shuddered.

Alfred caught his shudder and paused, watching him momentarily. "Are you alright, Artie? What happened earlier…that must've been some nightmare."

Arthur looked away. "Yes…it was…"

"What did you dream about?" Arthur didn't want to say. He could feel himself closing off fearfully. He felt like he was a clam closing himself away from the dangers of the world. He didn't want to recount it.

Matthew seemed to realize this. "Al, don't push him…" Alfred met his look frowning, dejected.

"I was…dreaming about my grandmother…" Arthur whispered, catching the boys' attentions and startling himself.

"Oh really? Did you not like her?" Matthew asked lightly, wanting to keep the conversation light-hearted even if they were talking about a nightmare that had scared Arthur enough to cause him to wake screaming.

"I loved her." Arthur shook his head. "But…I killed her." A tense silence hung in the air, shock causing both Alfred and Matthew's auras to whip in sudden astonishment. "…Not directly." He added, not wanting his friends to think him a murderer even though he thought himself one.

"It's okay, Artie." Alfred grabbed Arthur's hand and squeezed it. Arthur looked at him. "I'm sure it wasn't on purpose."

"No, it's not okay!" Arthur whipped his hand away and stood up quickly, his anger at himself causing him to react. His eyes welled with tears and he wished that he could kick himself, beat himself, _hurt_ himself in some way; any way that would take away the emotional pain. "Don't you understand? I killed her! I killed my own grandmother! It's my fault because I was an idiot! I just had to go and become 'friends' with _him_!" Tears jumped from his eyes as he shook his head back and forth furiously before he fell quiet, wiping his eyes quickly. He needed to calm down. He was just going to make himself feel worse. He was suffering enough damage without adding to it himself.

Matthew and Alfred watched him silently, letting Arthur get it out before either spoke, "Okay." Alfred said and stood up to go wash his plate, finished with his dinner. Arthur waited for him to continue but the boy didn't say anything else. He walked over to the dresser and pulled on a shirt before he walked over to Arthur, stopping in front of him a bit too close to be entirely friendly. He smiled at him compassionately and took his hand again before he gently tugged him a bit closer. "Do you want to go home now? I can drive you if you want."

Arthur gazed into Alfred's eyes. He felt something heated between them; electricity sparked between them. He couldn't bear to break the contact. His heart pounded in his chest and in that moment Arthur found he wanted to kiss Alfred. Unconsciously he leaned forward just a tiny bit. Alfred's eyelids lowered, his eyes dilating a little. Alfred tilted his head down, granted Arthur the invitation the boy had asked and Arthur would've happily taken it when from the corner of his eye he saw Matthew stand silently and Arthur broke the contact to look at him.

Matthew looked like he had been caught doing something bad. "Ah…" He didn't know what to say. Arthur flushed, realizing exactly what predicament they had just been in. He had wanted to kiss Alfred. He was an idiot. He couldn't stay in Alfred's presence any longer. The boy's aura was doing something to his nerves. Damn the fact that he was a water element; the damn America always knocked his guard down.

Arthur cleared his throat and stepped away from Alfred's heated touch. "No, I think I'll walk. The cool air will do me good." He didn't even wait to hear Alfred's protest as he grabbed his blazer and backpack and called a quick goodbye before leaving the dorms, blushing.

* * *

**A/N:**** So I decided to give my readers a head's up: **

**This story will have a total of THREE endings: A Bad End, Good End, and True End. The Bad End will be pretty obvious to everyone which that is but for the "Good" and "True" end I'm gonna leave that up to the readers to decide what they are. Basically I'm gonna end the story one way and then go back in time a bit, tweak one essential part that changes the whole outcome of the story and head towards the new end. You guys can choose which end you like the best. :3**

**In other news, this chapter's song is "Irony" by Miku Hatsune.**


	11. The Hammer Song and Tower of Pain

**Chapter 10: The Hammer Song and the Tower of Pain**

Cold December winds began to gust through the town as layer upon layer of clouds rolled into the area surrounding Cultural Heights. On certain days it snowed but there were many days icy gusts were the only thing weather provided and they would rip through your clothing effortlessly. Arthur found he had to layer himself with clothing and that the people from warm countries complained each day. He sometimes had to trek through snow and he couldn't help but remember the days when he had lived in Aberdeen. Those days had been terrible and he was happy when he had left and instead moved to a warmer place (after certain incidents had occurred).

Arthur slowly tripped his tired way down the stairs until he stumbled to the bottom of the carpeted flooring. He could hear talking in the study and frowned knowing that Allistier was talking to someone. From the sound of it, the person on the other end of the line was someone he had to be serious with. Hearing his elder brother with a serious voice was rather surprising and he wasn't sure that he liked it. He frowned and made his way closer and stood hidden around the corner from Allistier's study. His spying skills were top-notch and he was rather proud of them. He was bothered that he could only hear Allistier's end but he couldn't risk grabbing the other line because he knew that he would be heard. This conversation was not meant for his ears. He could tell because of the fact that it was early enough that any right-minded teenager wouldn't be awake on a Sunday morning. But Arthur was used to waking up early on any day.

"_Nae_, Da." Allistier was saying and Arthur's ears perked a bit, getting a little bit closer to hear better, "Nothing has happened other than the… Aye." He paused in what he was saying to listen. "Yeh, the nightmares." Arthur was confused. His family was aware of his nightmares? He was sure that Allistier and at least Peter knew (poor Peter had shared a room with Arthur a few of the times and had been woken up by the night terrors) but he didn't know that his father knew about it. He wasn't sure that he liked that his father knew. "Surprisingly he's been doing well. Got friends an' such. Aye. No I'm not lying." The man laughed for a moment, cheerful and snide. Asshole. "…..Aye, I could use more money. Teaching only pays so much." Arthur rolled his eyes. His brother was just trying to get money from their family.

_It's all for his bloody alcoholism._ Arthur thought to himself, irritated. _I hardly need money from him…_ He frowned suddenly remembering how not too long ago he had asked for money to go out and buy supplies. He had borrowed the truck and everything and had stolen Allistier's card in order to drive a couple towns away to the New Age shop to buy new candles and incense. He had spent too much, now that he thought about it. He hadn't thought that it was all that much at the time but now that it had occurred to him it _had_ been Allistier's money. The fact that the man hadn't confronted him about it made Arthur question what his brother was scheming. He wasn't likely to get away with this unscathed. He would need to watch his back.

He moved away from the door to pad towards the living room, pulling his T.A.R.D.I.S. robe further around him and sitting down in the armchair to gaze at the tellie. He never liked spending others' money before but his funds were cut now that he didn't receive an allowance from his parents (only a measly four pounds but it built up over time) so he didn't have anything. _**Well you're nearly eighteen now.**_ Jeanne commented from where she hung around Arthur's neck. He had attached her chain onto another to wear her like a necklace for the time being. Her presence soothed him better with her like this and she liked being able to see the world around her. _**Maybe you could get a job?**_

Arthur considered it. Yes, that would be a good idea. Christmas was coming and holiday jobs would be opening up. He would be able to find a job better this way. He nodded. "Yes, that would be a good idea." He told her and pulled her off to hold her chain between his two fingers as he talked to her, watching her answers as she moved as well as sensing them. "Do you have any ideas?" He talked to her for an hour before his hand became too tired from the energy he exerted. He smiled softly and held her tenderly in his palms, pressing her to his chest against his heart. He knew that she was in the exact middle of the grotesque heart on his chest but he was happy to have her there. She was one he felt close to and cared about more than anyone. He didn't care if she was only a stone for she was the one he knew would never leave him. She wasn't some type of toy that he lost interest in. She was his first pendulum that he stuck with for he lost his connections with the others or they broke under the strain of his daily life. Many of his stones he had to return to the Earth. Jeanne had cracks within her stone but none of them had hurt her on the outside. She stubbornly refused to give up on Arthur. He felt that as long as she was with him, he would always feel safe. She was the guardian of the wall in his heart that encouraged him to let others through the gate but he refused them. At a decent time later he showered, dressed, and then travelled down to the nearest Salvation Army station. Hopefully they were still accepting.

* * *

He wasn't the least surprised that he would end up about three days later ringing a bell and wearing a Santa outfit in the falling snow outside of the local supermarket. He didn't particularly mind but it was a bit difficult with his smile deficiency to do his job correctly. He wasn't a person who could just smile whenever he pleased. The closest thing to a smile he could grant would be a fake tilt of his lips up or a smirk. It would be difficult to have a bell ringing job that required you to get donations when he couldn't give a real smile. But how could he give a real smile? He hadn't been happy enough to physically show it in a long time. _**Too long.**_ Jeanne commented and Arthur felt her presence in front of him. She was dressed in warmer clothing now with black snow tights on underneath a pale pink petticoat She had on white fluffy ear muffs over her loose blonde hair (still short so she hadn't changed it) and tall white boots that reached her knees. Arthur's heart pounded happily at the sight of her. He hadn't really "seen" her since the day he decided to get a job.

"_Not that long."_ Arthur denied as he waved his bell and gave a small (fake) smile and a thank you to a child who put money into the red bucket hanging next to Arthur.

_**Yes, it has been.**_ Jeanne frowned at him and pressed her hands into her pockets. She moved to stand next to him and leaned on him. Arthur didn't feel her but he could feel her loving energy entering from where their shoulders touched. He allowed it to wash over him and his tense fake smile softening it somewhat. He sighed gently and glanced at the donation box and wondered if his karma had lightened somewhat from its heavy black load at all. He couldn't argue back against the pendulum. She had been with Arthur since the beginning of everything. If anybody knew him it was certainly her.

"_You know it can't be helped." _ Arthur pathetically argued. He mentally ended the conversation despite her saying something to him in response. This was a dead-end conversation they had gone into a number of times. His eyes caught movement and his head tilted as the snow began to flurry around him. He watched the frozen rain silently and pictured being enveloped and buried in the snow. It was a peaceful thought and it relaxed him.

"Arthur you supposed to be a ring-ring-ringing your bell, Santa?" A voice sounded in his ear and Arthur nearly jumped out of his skin emitting a shriek. He spun around to see Gilbert and Alfred guffawing at him. He scowled.

"I am ringing the bell!" Arthur waved the bell angrily a few times before pointing it at them. "What do you two want?"

"Hey, we're donating!" Gilbert said and pulled out a dollar before nudging Alfred who copied him. Arthur watched suspiciously as they each stuffed their bills into the bucket. "See?"

"Thank you for your donation. You can move on now." He said stiffly.

"But we wanted to see you work!" Alfred came around to Arthur's side and pressed close to him. Arthur pulled away from him swiftly but Alfred dragged him back to bury his cold nose into his friend's neck. Arthur gasped. "Besides, you're super warm!"

"You're wearing a giant coat!" Arthur protested and shoved at him. It was like trying to shove a gorilla away from him with as much bulk and muscle (not so much hair) the America football player was sporting. Alfred had traded out his letterman jacket for a thicker and more worn jacket. It looked like it belonged on a fighter plane pilot from World War II but somehow it suited the American. It was brown and smooth to the touch with black faux fur around the collar. The jacket was clearly meant for cold weather.

"It's not enough!" He whined and pressed closer, cold hands slipping under Arthur's coat innocently. Arthur shrieked and snapped away from him in order to slam a fist down onto his head. He knew his face was no longer flushed just from the chill in the wind. "Ow!"

"Don't touch me, you-you-!" Arthur couldn't finish as Jeanne subtly slide the words "lovely pervert" into his mind. She clearly approved and was pushing him into a relationship with Alfred having sensed Arthur's growing (unwanted) feelings towards the other senior. He smacked the words away mentally. "Just go into the fucking store! It's right there!"

Alfred pouted as he nursed his skull. "But you're so much warmer. I'd rather cuddle with someone than just stand in a store."

"Then go find one of your female fangirls who gives a damn." Arthur said with a bit too much jealousy in his voice for his own liking. He bit it back and turned a cold shoulder towards his friends as he went back to ringing despite the fact that his grumpy face would doubtlessly cause people to ignore him. He missed Alfred's shocked and then angry glare that was shot at him.

"Aren't you flirting a bit strongly?" Arthur thought he might of heard Gilbert whisper but he brushed it off as imagination as he was spun around by an angry Alfred.

"Look, I don't have fangirls and I'd really appreciate it if you didn't talk about my girl friends that way!"

"Oh, so you call them your girlfriends then! I guess that's a _better_ word for them!" He yelled back, unable to help his frustration. Why were his emotions flaring so badly? Was it because of Jeanne? She had loosened the strings on his heart just a bit earlier so maybe his emotions were running rampant. He _wasn't_ jealous of Alfred and he _wasn't_ jealous of any of Alfred's girlfriends. Hell, he wasn't even angry that Alfred was straight when he was clearly trying to get a little too friendly with Arthur. Wait, hadn't Alfred fucking _kissed_ him before?

"Not that type of girlfriend, idiot!"

"I'm not an idiot, you blasted asshole!" Alfred's face turned red as it flushed with fury. Gilbert watched them warily, no longer amused. The American took a step closer to Arthur and instinctively Arthur's hands grabbed for a weapon, fear spiking into his heart. Gilbert saw the movement as well as Alfred. Both boys froze as Arthur grabbed the handle of the bucket in a defensive position. His body trembled with adrenaline. He would hurt anyone who touched him.

Alfred studied him, his face still red but seeming to come to his senses. Gilbert placed a hand on his arm and the American calmed down. "I wasn't talking about girlfriends like that. I was talking about _girl_ and _friends_. Separate, understand? Calm down already. I won't hurt you."

Arthur stared at him with wide eyes. Was Alfred already that aware of how afraid of bullying Arthur was? No, of course he knew. Look how he acted in the face of it. He was so obvious. He was so obviously a coward. He felt embarrassed for getting so riled up. He unwillingly did relax but his hand continued to hold the bucket in it. People were watching the scene but seeing the boys calm down they moved on. Arthur let out a breath, regretful. "I'm…sorry." He said.

"It's okay. Sorry too." Alfred rubbed the back of his head.

"Kesesese, your eyebrows tremble when you're angry!" Gilbert said, clearly trying to lighten the mood.

"Holy shit, you're right!"

Arthur made a choked guttural sound before Gilbert found a metal bucket flying straight into his face with a livid Brit shooting him down mentally. The money in the bucket flew out as the top burst off but Arthur couldn't bring himself to care, seeing red. Alfred's let out a hoot of laughter, clearly enjoying his friend's pain before he saw Arthur had set his sights on him. The moment Gilbert hit the ground both the American and the British boy took off, the American football player running for dear life.

Alfred was rather surprised to find just how well a person could tackle when they were great at rugby. And how strong the scrawny British boy actually was.

* * *

Arthur glared at the basketball hoop as he shot the basketball at it. He bounced the ball harder than necessary and shot it with too much force so it shot across the court. He didn't even bother going after it instead sulking to himself but it came back to him in Vladimir's hands. "You're still angry with those two?"

"I lost my fucking job because of them. Of course I am." He scowled and threw the ball again. Once again too much force was applied but it was intercepted by one of the said "two" Arthur was angry at. Alfred grinned despite the busted lip and the bandaged nose he was sporting and passed the ball back. He winced at his injury then.

"It was a little job. Don't be so mad. I mean, Gilbert's face is temporarily fucked up and you don't see him sulking." He said and fixed the bobby pins keeping his fringe out of his face. His body already glistened from sweat from the very competitive and barely-hidden aggressive game he had played with Ivan and a very unwilling Ex-Soviet Union club team. Alfred, Kiku, Matthew, and Gilbert had barely won by one point.

"That's because he has Liz to nurse him, though." Vladimir pointed out, seemingly taking Arthur's side. Arthur glanced at him with a raised eyebrow. Had the two of them gotten back together? Well they did make out rather…passionately at the Halloween party but they had been just as at each other's throats as before the party. No, he would know if the two of them were dating each other.

"Why does it even matter if you have a job?" Alfred caught the ball after Arthur made it into the hoop and jogged around to the line on the court before he shot from there. He barely missed, hitting the rim and the backboard before it ricocheted off. Vladimir caught it and took a shot instead.

"Because I need to start pulling my own weight around the house." Arthur admitted as he watched the Nosferatu take another shot. _And because I need to pay Allistier back before he gets _me_ back._

"Alfred, my friend." Ivan joined them, grinning challengingly. Arthur shivered at the boy's aura. If Alfred had a vibrant and warm aura, Ivan certainly had an intense and cold one. Each person was different but the dramatic difference between the two always made Arthur shudder whenever they were near each other. Apparently Vladimir also felt it as his body shook and he covered his mouth, moving closer to Arthur. It probably didn't help that Alfred was a water element and the Romanian boy a fire. Interesting things happened when the two combined. "I demand a rematch."

"I already wiped your ass once, Ivan." Alfred laughed. "You want me to do it again?"

"You barely beat me. I will win this time. The score is tied now, isn't it?"

Alfred considered it. "Oh man, you're right. That's right with this we're tied since you beat me at the painting thing…"

"_да_, that is correct."

"Damn, I forgot about that. Fine, you're on but first," he turned to Arthur, "hey, I'll help you find a job okay? To make up for it." Arthur glared at him, suspicious.

Ivan took and interest, looking at Arthur. "You are looking for a job? How about I help as well? We shall make it a competition." He smiled at Alfred.

"Deal!" Alfred grinned, clearly enjoying this. Arthur felt like a damsel in distress between a shining knight and a wicked lord all of the sudden.

"I don't need-" He tried to protest. He could find his own damn job. He didn't need help for it. He'd found many jobs before (that he often lost for various reasons).

"Arthur," Ivan approached Arthur. The British boy resisted backing up realizing that the Russian actually wasn't trying to be threatening, "my sister needs help at the, what do you English-speakers call it, Juice Bar. I would be willing to hire you."

Arthur was surprised. "But don't you work there?"

"Only every so often. She needs full-time help during the break. I cannot. I must go back to my country over break. Would you be willing? My big sister would be grateful." Despite the aura Arthur was pressing hard not to be overwhelmed by (he couldn't risk wrapping himself in it in the same way he let Alfred's) Ivan looked sincere in his askance.

"I…Thank you, yes. I would appreciate it. Should I go there after school?"

Ivan nodded. "I am grateful." He smiled, this time kindly. Arthur looked at Ivan in a new light. Maybe he had been misjudging this boy based on feelings. Ivan appeared to actually be a kind person. What did Arthur know about him? He and Alfred were in some type of competition that seemed to have started when they had entered high school. What it was about nobody could tell the straight story of and Arthur had never asked either Ivan or Alfred. Either way it seemed to continue to today. Ivan did well in his classes but he wasn't the best. Maybe he was actually nice?

"FUCK!" Alfred yelled, breaking the kinship Arthur was developing with the Russian and causing them to turn to him. "That totally was cheating! You had a job lined up for Arthur! That doesn't count!"

Ivan's smile turned into a smirk now. "All points count, comrade."

"I ain't your comrade, communist!" Ivan laughed at the name. "Basketball game, now! That will be the real point!"

"If you win I'll allow you to take my point away. If I win, I get double points." Ivan offered and tossed the ball to Alfred roughly. The American caught it with a exigent grin before he tossed it back just as roughly.

"Deal!" He rushed off to go gather his team. Ivan left as well towards a very reluctant team of his own. Arthur turned to Vladimir who shook his head.

"Those two are insane. Their auras kill me."

"Together? Or separately?" Arthur bounced his own ball, in a better mood now as cheering roared from the main court.

"Both. More so the former than the latter."

"I find Alfred's to be quite comfortable, actually." Arthur said as he shot, not particularly thinking about what he was saying as he became distracted by thoughts of working again.

"That is because you are in love with him." The second shot went wildly off-course as Arthur stumbled in shock and gawked at Vladimir. The Romanian didn't seem to notice anything wrong and went to grab the ball. By the time he came back Arthur had recovered.

"I do _not_ like that oaf!" He cried.

Vladimir looked at him from the corner of his eye. "You and Lukas may have the Sight, but I can read auras like a book. You cannot lie to me."

"I don't!" Arthur denied furiously. There was no way he could like Alfred. Yes, he enjoyed his company (sometimes) and his aura was like a drug and talking to him was fun and his lips still tingled whenever he thought of that kiss from Halloween (no matter how brief) but all of that was only a small crush! Alfred was one of his first true friends and was attractive to boot. Arthur didn't love Alfred. He _couldn't_ love Alfred. "Oh no no no." Arthur grabbed his hair with both hands and his eyes wild suddenly seriously considering the possibility. "No, I can't like him!" His voice was growing a bit shrill. "I _can't_! He'll die if I like him! He'll die like all of the others! No no no no _no no no_-!"

Water splashed across his face, waking Arthur up and startling him. Vladimir grabbed his shoulders, his eyes flying from Arthur's eyes to the area around his head, scanning. "Calm down, Arthur." He said, his eyes landing back on Arthur was a mysterious look in them. "I was only joking."

Arthur stared at him uncomprehendingly for a moment before anger flared in him. "Well that was a horrid joke!" He shoved him a little away and gripped his own forearms, calming his trembling. He cleared all thoughts of his feelings from his mind. Of course he didn't like Alfred. He had just been imagining things. He could probably think of many people he had "crushes" on. Yes, Vladimir had only been joking. It was a nasty joke but a joke nonetheless.

_Yes…_ He thought rather sorrowfully, although he wasn't sure as to why his heart was heavy all of the sudden. _I don't love anybody. It's better that way. I can't ever love anybody._

* * *

**A/N: Ah…it's so short…**

**Today's song is "The Hammer Song and Tower of Pain" by Bump of Chicken. I would like to note that these songs aren't always singing about what is going on directly in the chapter but what Arthur is experiencing more internally.**

**Review please!**


	12. Left-Behind City

**.A/N: *mentally deletes last chapter in her head even though it was a necessary filler chapter***

* * *

**Chapter 11: Left-Behind City**

The first thing that Arthur registered upon opening his eyes was that he was freezing cold. The next thing he painfully discovered was that his head felt like it had been bashed in with various rocks. Oh, and did he mention that he was almost completely naked only with a blanket, a pair of female British flag boxers (Arthur would never admit to the fact he found them damn comfortable to wear despite them being a little…small), and a thin tank-top. He sat up and shivered violently wrapping the blanket (thankfully thick) around his form as he stood. He looked around him to see he was in the middle of what anybody would define as "nowhere". He couldn't even see a street. The ground was icy but grass could still be seen poking through it so the snow wasn't all that thick here. He didn't know how he wound up where he was but he thanked the gods that it hadn't heavily snowed recently. The sun hadn't risen yet but the vestiges of night were fading with the colours of the sky beginning to paint into a wonderfully cheerful array of pinks, oranges, and light blues.

Arthur spun around to get a better look at his surroundings knowing that before he could even figure out how he got where he was he needed to find any kind of landmarks (like perhaps a house or at least a fucking _road_). A car zoomed by not too far away which signified that there was indeed a road just a few meters away. Arthur had apparently found himself just far enough from the road not to be spotted but close enough that he would have no issue finding it. Luckily for him there seemed to be a sign so he began to stumble on cold feet towards it. It was during this time period he considered his situation and how he had even arrived there.

Last night had been Allistier's birthday and naturally the teacher was more than inclined to be even more of an alcoholic than usual. He didn't have his usual drinking buddies (that being his friends or family because Arthur knew his family loved to drink when given the right opportunity) so he had included Arthur in on the festivities. Usually Arthur wasn't one to become inebriated around his elder siblings (too many bad incidents occurred that had him end up in jail with them on a few occasions or slapped across the face) but he too followed the family name and happily took up the strong scotch. Arthur didn't become drunk often (he liked to have his wits about him) but he had been quite the drinker during his "rebellious" phase and so could down the strongest and the best of the beverages. It seemed that he had one too many last night –which wasn't unusual- and he couldn't remember a blasted thing. He did remember having a great time with his brother for the first time in a while, though. Had he perhaps been mugged? He was stripped after all and –he looked down at his attire- bloody hell, is that a _woman's_ shirt? It was bright pink. Either it was a woman's or Allistier had taken the liberty of dressing Arthur up in a new wardrobe. He resisted the urge to rub his throbbing head, preferring the warmth of his blanket. He hoped that he hadn't been mugged; his stones had been in his clothing after all. Jeanne was still wrapped around his neck but she was silent at the moment and her presence was absent. She was probably still sleeping.

After only a minute of walking Arthur came to the road and looked at the sign. _Cultural Heights: 5 miles_. "Fuck!" Arthur yelled only to wince. His town was five miles away, he was in the middle of nowhere without a car, and he was barefoot. He was doubtful anyone would pick him up either. He had no choice but to walk and so he began his trek. He was thankful for all of those years he had spent running around barefoot in the open wilderness back in the British Isles as his grandmother had taught him. He was to always know the land around him and give thanks to it. He had loved to run through streams and climbed trees. He had taken it upon himself to be one with the land, in a sense. He could run swift-footedly and confidently even through the thickest of forests knowing he didn't need to care of injuring himself. All injuries could be taken care of. The excitement and freedom that thrilled his very soul in those moments where he touched no place that any human had previously touched before were the absolute best. He doubted that any feeling came close to it. At the very least, he had yet to experience it.

It was ever so much better than the books he read. He would imagine adventures for himself as he and the local faeries grew closer and began to play games. One day he would be Peter from _Peter and the Starcatchers_ and pull out a stick to swing around and fight with some of the fae that were –at the time- taller than him and pretend they were pirates. Of course he would respect them too but they grew fond of this young boy who respected their lands and paid such homage to their ways that they would indulge him on occasion. Even when Arthur moved away the word followed him (along with a few of his friends, sometimes) and he was almost always greeted kindly if not somewhat suspiciously. But faeries were faeries and each were their own person and had their own ways. Arthur learnt and lived cheerfully. It was only as he grew and his life grew darker did those childish plays end. Nevertheless the fun had hardened his feet to the point that the five mile trek was in all honesty not the worst he had ever had to deal with.

This wasn't to say that he wasn't tired as he arrived home at last and found the spare key to open the door. His toes were numb and frozen (he would have to warm them soon) and his throat burned with an icy-hotness that was bitter in its oxymoronic life. He was sure his cheeks were a bit wind-burnt as well but he was well awake and he had made it back home roughly an hour before school started. He noticed the truck was already gone and wondered if Allistier had left for work already. At least Arthur had time to shower so he made his way upstairs dropping the blanket off. It was only then that he noticed that there was a piece of paper sticking out of the tear in the material. Curious Arthur grabbed it and read it as he walked towards the bathroom.

_Hope you enjoyed your walk, little idjit brother. That's for spending my money._

Needless to say Arthur's screech could be heard for miles.

* * *

Arthur's mood had soured to a very low level which caused the throbbing in his head (still currently being worked on by a migraine pill) to increase tenfold and his tolerance to fall to abysmal levels. His hair was properly dry but Arthur could still feel the chill of bitter defeat on his skin as he stormed his way into first block. He had made it with plenty of time for school despite his thrashing about in an effort to regain any semblance of his normal routine back. His clothing that had been taken from his body from the previous night had ended up thrown carelessly onto his bed. It was nice that at least Allistier hadn't been so much of an arse as to just haphazardly throw his stones around and had instead placed them (in their bags, luckily) onto his altar. It had been the only good note of the morning besides the reminiscing Arthur had gotten done during his walk.

Allistier was not in fact in the classroom when he had entered –but that really wasn't such a surprise considering how late the man always was every day- but Arthur's friends from the class along with Lili already were. Arthur wasn't sure of the topic of the conversation was but the boys were talking rather animatedly about it, leaning over to look at something. Elizaveta and Lili were unimpressed with it –Lili even looked to be rather uncomfortable- and looked relieved to see Arthur come in. She grabbed Lili's hand and led her over to him to grab his hands.

"Where have you been, Arthur? We missed you on yesterday. There was a party in the boys' dorm!"

Arthur harrumphed. He hadn't wanted to go to a party anyhow. "I wasn't aware of it and quite frankly I had my own 'party' to deal with." At their curious looks he elaborated, "It was Allistier's birthday yesterday."

"I'm guessing it didn't go well?" Lili asked sympathetically, taking in Arthur's grumpy attitude. Arthur's shoulders hunched and he dropped his school bag in his chair before he crossed his arms even as Alfred hurried over to lean between the two girls and greet him. Whatever they had been looking at earlier had been put away now as Kiku and Vash drifted over as well. Ivan occupied himself with his phone even though he sat near them to listen in anyway. It was as if they knew Arthur had a story to tell.

He scoffed. "You have no idea." Not that he had a much better one considering he still lacked the memory of the previous night. "I only remember waking up five miles from here missing a majority of my clothes and having to walk back home to discover Allistier had dumped me there last night."

Alfred let out a hoot of laughter as Kiku looked dismayed. "Why?"

The British boy grumbled under his breath. "Revenge." It wasn't unusual in their family to play cruel tricks on each other and by this point in his life Arthur had taken the brunt of it enough not to take it to heart too much. In this case it was at the very least warranted. He was more angry that he hadn't been able to slip under the radar for that one. He hadn't been able to get money in time considering he had barely been paid for the job he had done before getting fired (goddamn Alfred and Gilbert) and he hadn't yet started his job with Katyusha. He would be doing so tomorrow considering this was the last day before winter break.

The bell chimed three times to signal that students only had a few minutes left to make it to class on time. Arthur had apparently missed the first ring of the bell and didn't notice his other classmates starting to flood in. He said goodbye to Lili as Vash walked her out of the door, holding her hand to lead her through the opposite flowing students. Elizaveta moved over and kneeled next to Arthur's seat a bit to get in close to him. A flush appeared across his cheeks as her well-developed…figure pressed against his arm. It was no wonder Gilbert had such an issue letting a girl like her escape. She was beautiful.

"Aren't they such a cute couple?" She whispered to him happily, pointedly looking at the adopted siblings conspiratorially. "I'm so glad Lili's feelings have finally been returned."

Arthur rolled his eyes at her words, rather amused. He noticed that his mood had improved greatly since he had arrived even though it had only been a few minutes. Was it coincidence or is this just what it felt like to have friends to talk to? He wasn't sure of the answer but either way the idea tickled him in a happy way. "Of course they would. Anybody would notice the attraction between those two."

Elizaveta smiled at him with that sly look still. "Oh yes? You sound so perceptive of such things."

"Of course I am." Arthur sniffed rather haughtily. He had read enough romance books and had people-watched enough to read a number of emotions. He prided himself in his "skill".

Elizaveta giggled a bit. "You don't even notice your own affections, though!"

Arthur frowned at her, confused. Somehow he felt flustered, his cheeks heating up a bit. "Affections? For who?" He demanded. As far as he was concerned he cared for nobody in such a way. He was completely content with just having friends. In fact that was rather more than enough than what he needed. "Enough" was all he really needed and he daren't wish for any more than that. Beside him Alfred sat down and leaned towards them.

"What'cha two whispering about? I wanna know secrets!"

Elizaveta tsked him. "Al, this is between the two of us. You don't need to hear about Arthur's love life."

"Love life?" Alfred's eyes lit up with curiosity. "Now I _have_ to know!" Arthur could feel his face burning despite the fact that there wasn't a "love life" to even speak about. The look in Alfred's deep blue eyes worried him, after all. He looked far too interested and Arthur knew that when the boy was interested it usually meant he was pushy enough to get his way. The American and the Hungarian shared a look that Arthur frowned at, immediately suspicious. Something had just passed between them and he had missed it. Damn it.

"There's nothing to discuss!" Arthur stated, pushing Alfred's too-close body away from him. His aura was blending with Arthur's and from the corner of his eye Arthur saw that the two were beginning to flow around each other in a type of exotic dance. He found himself temporarily distracted as the bright yellow-tinged-with-pink (the pink seemed much closer to the body and yellow seemed to be the more saturated colour) twirling and almost stroking Arthur's own familiar light blue and green (it was a mix between the two mostly) one. His heart thudded feeling as if the action was too intimate. His body had become used to the other boy to the point he felt drawn to lean towards him. He felt almost as if it was required of him. Really he needed to make sure that Alfred stayed away from him a good distance. Such an atmosphere was far too intoxicating (more so than the strongest of alcohols) for his mind.

Alfred leaned back only a bit but he was still well within Arthur's personal space. Arthur could no longer find it in himself to push him farther. He instead focused on Elizaveta's nearby aura. It flickered excitedly and swirled with colour that fascinated Arthur. He hadn't read up enough on auras to read emotions from the colours, though. He would need to ask Vladimir at the next club meeting to teach him. He was curious. "There has to be something! Come on, Artie! You got someone you like? Someone I know? Actually," the American twisted himself to be within Arthur's averted vision, "what team do you play for anyway?"

"Excuse me?" He asked, confused. When had this become a discussion of sports all of the sudden?

"Which way do you swing?"

"_Oh._" He realized and blushed again. Damn the fact that he was wind-burnt; his face kept feeling all hot. "Well I…I never considered it." He answered honestly. He had never seen the reasoning as to looking into his own sexuality. He'd had crushes on people (if his first love had been any indication) but he didn't really align himself with a particular sexuality. He found both men and women attractive but did he want to _be_ with any of them? No, he hadn't found someone like that yet.

Elizaveta gasped and put her hands on his thigh. "I _have_ to introduce you to some of my friends! They'd love you!"

"Nope!" Alfred grabbed Arthur and yanked his form to him. Arthur yelped as he fell backwards and half against Alfred's chest and partially into his lap. His bottom was still in his own chair and Elizaveta's hands were still a little too close to his privates for his comfort. However, his mind became heavily distracted by the sudden fact that he was so close to Alfred once again. The boy had a broad chest that fit rather perfectly against Arthur's back as the American wrapped his arms around Arthur's torso to hug him close. Now Arthur was sure his "wind burn" was worse than ever. "He's not going to meet your ensemble of gay guys, Liz. I think Artie's great _the way he is_." There was a strange way in how Alfred stressed his words that made Arthur immediately want to know of Alfred's hidden meaning. It had gone over his head –literally, considering their positions- but Elizaveta caught it. She seemed even happier by this development and sent a look to Kiku who was listening but staying tactfully out of the conversation.

Arthur struggled in Alfred's arms and finally squirmed away. "Keep your hands to yourself, you git!" He fixed his blazer and harrumphed. Alfred only laughed and ruffled his friend's hair which he received an angry swat from.

"Hey that reminds me, you're starting work tomorrow right?"

"Yes." Arthur reached into his backpack to pull out his pen and fiddle with it absently. "I need to talk to Katyusha about everything first, though. The Juice Bar was closed yesterday, though."

"Yeah, Ivan said his sister's helping him out before he leaves. Says she's a real mess."

"What?" He looked at him with concern. "Is she alright?"

"Oh yeah!" Alfred waved off the concern with a grin. "She a crybaby, so it's okay. She'll get over it. She just really loves her siblings."

"What a kind sister." Arthur could hardly fathom having loving siblings. One of said "loving siblings" entered the room then, shutting the door and locking it behind him. He appeared just as grumpy as Arthur felt at the sight of him. Arthur was little bit self-satisfied that he wasn't the only one sporting a hangover.

Allistier put down their finals on the desk and met his brother's eyes before grinning. His emerald eyes –just like Arthur's- flashed smugly. "I see ye made it back."

"Go to hell. You could've left me some goddamn shoes." Arthur scowled at him.

"Don't spend my money, then." Allistier sniffed.

"You…are a fucking asshole." He hissed.

"It runs in the family, idjit. Now let's get this shite over with…" He said and started to pass out the finals.

* * *

It was approaching noon as Arthur arrived at the Juice Bar to begin his first day on his new job. Fresh snow had fallen the night before and lay thick on the ground so he made sure to bundle up. The sun was covered by a thick down blanket of grey clouds threatening to release another wave of the snow. Arthur puffed hot air into the sky and watched it drift upwards and disappear in the surrounding sky. He shifted in his large suede trench coat and maneuvered his scarf up over his nose to warm it with his own breath. Although it was noon it was nearing -5⁰C and he was really feeling the urge to get inside. He didn't much care for the weather elements and the cold brought back unwanted memories from some of the previous towns he lived in (although really he had "unwanted memories" from _every_ town he's lived in thus far). Ivan had told him yesterday what time he was to arrive at his sister's bar in order to get his training over with quickly. Tomorrow would be a winter concert in the park and no doubt guests would want to get drinks. Arthur would need to get the job down rather quickly so he arrived at noon.

The Juice Bar, at the moment, was empty in exception to Katyusha herself as she cleaned up the counter. Her breasts bounced with each movement that she made with her arms and Arthur found himself staring. He quickly averted his eyes to her face biting back a blush of both embarrassment as he reprimanded himself and just a hint of arousal (he was a healthy teenage boy) as she looked up and smiled at him. "Arthur! You have come! Thank you so much for offering!" She hurried over to take his hand in hers, already teary-eyed. Alfred hadn't been kidding about her crybaby tendencies. "I was afraid I would have to manage alone without my little brother but then he told me that you would replace him, yes?" She squeezed his hand lightly, her accent thickening with her emotions. Arthur took a second to comprehend what he had been told.

"Yes, I have. I'm thankful you were willing to offer me the job. I need the money, you see." He hinted that he still expected to be paid for his service. The way the woman had spoken Ivan made it seem like he was helping out of the kindness of his heart (which very minimally he was because he wasn't heartless).

"Of course!" Katyusha agreed and placed his hand on her chest in what was meant to be a sentimental way but Arthur –receiving a full hand- took it differently and stiffened. He sensed it as Jeanne frowned deeply at him, disapproving of this touch. He felt that she didn't support Arthur being with such a woman romantically. "I would be glad to pay for help of my younger brother's good friend!" She released him and Arthur hurriedly snatched his hand back, blushing. He quickly tucked his hands into his coat pockets and followed the woman as she moved behind the bar. The next few hours Arthur spent learning all that he was to know about working at the Juice Bar. For the most part he was to help with serving drinks considering he didn't know the recipes for each yet. He was given a list of all of the recipes he was to learn (quite the list it was) and he had to memorize. It even had instructions on how to cut the fruit up or how to use the blender to give the coffee products the perfect foam. There was a lot to learn but Arthur loved to learn. Katyusha was a good teacher as she got down to it. She demonstrated anything that Arthur had particular questions about. She allowed him to try as well and offered to try whatever he made. At first her face turned a bit green and she turned away to gather herself. Arthur watched her, curious to know if he had been that great at it. She smiled painfully at him.

"That was horrible." She told him in a kind but stern voice. "You used far too much mint. You learn, yes?" Arthur watched the smile and shivered slightly. He could finally see the relation between Katyusha and Ivan. It wasn't pleasant and she grew much stricter with him after the botched drink. Many of the drinks turned out bad (if not worse than the first) but the more Arthur practiced the better he got. They had to spend so much time on him learning the recipes in between serving customers that they didn't even have time to start on any kind of baking when the time rolled around for the alcohol to start flowing. Arthur was dismissed from the job then seeing as he wasn't allowed to touch the alcohol or serve it.

He thanked Katyusha and bundled up again as he left through the trees. A sensation nearby him attracted his attention and he was alerted to the fact that there was a figure crouching near a tree in the darkness. Arthur's skin prickled as his hair stood up in alarm. He knew that there were "bad" faeries out in the world and no doubt that there were some living in this forest. He wasn't sure if he was looking at a faerie but one could never be too sure. Perhaps it would be best to move on but that's when he noticed that the figure was indeed human and it was talking to the tree. He approached the person a bit and recognized through the thick clothing that it was Lukas. He was murmuring softly to the fully grown tree, stroking the smooth pine bark slowly. He appeared relaxed and in his element as he had his back turned for the most part to Arthur.

Arthur considered not imposing when exactly who Lukas was talking to caught his attention. It was a beautiful dryad with long flowing green hair powdered with white snow. Her pale white skin was tinged with hints of browns and greens and pine needles covered only her lower form and created a necklace of sorts. She was conversing happily with the Norwegian as she touched his hand, smiling in a breathtaking way. No matter how many times Arthur saw any type of nymph (which wasn't often seeing as the girls tended to stray from humans) he swore that he could easily fall in love with them. He never did but still it was the thought that matter and that had flattered many of the few nymphs he had talked to in the past. She noticed him before Lukas did and she squeaked in fear before disappearing into her tree. Lukas gave a disappointed look before he turned his gaze to greet Arthur.

"Ah, I'm sorry." Arthur apologized quickly, more for the dryad's sake than Lukas's. "I scared you by accident. I didn't mean to intrude." He bowed slightly to the tree and turned to Lukas. "I didn't realize it was you, is all. I apologize."

Lukas shook his head. "It's fine." He stated and gazed at the tree once more with a small smile before it disappeared and he joined Arthur. "I was only having a chat."

Arthur nodded a goodbye to the tree before he and the Norwegian boy left through the forest to head for the park. When they were out of earshot Arthur decided to speak, "I didn't know you were friends with the dryads. I had barely been able to see any before."

"I've been friends with her for a while." He responded as he slipped on his gloves.

"She was lovely and quite fond of you, it seemed." _It seemed as if she was in love with you. Are you cheating on your boyfriend?_ He asked unspoken.

"I was the one who planted and cared for her." _She loves me but the feeling is not mutual_. Arthur read from the boy's tone.

"Ah." They didn't speak more than that and walked in companionable silence for a couple minutes before Arthur began to recount some of his stories of childhood adventures with Lukas. He hadn't met anyone else who'd had the Sight in a long while and he wanted to express his feelings for the creatures he had met. He felt almost obligated to in the face of someone who obviously cared for them just as much as Arthur did. The English boy had often seen faeries accompanying Lukas in various places and even had found the boy playing with them on occasion. He'd even seen a troll or two following after the boy. He wanted to know more about this person who came from such a different background –and such a different country- and Lukas obliged to him. They talked for a long time which was the most Arthur had ever spoken to him. They walked around the town not minding the hour and only stopped once to buy some warm drinks and treats at the Vargas's place. Even then they had so much to discuss. Arthur found himself laughing as Lukas regaled him with tales of how he had pulled pranks with his faerie friends and Lukas in turn laughed at some of Arthur's more mischievous adventures. Arthur could hardly believe that he was smiling so much but he felt such a strong companionship with the previously freaky boy who had unnerved him. _Perhaps,_ he decided, _I should open myself up just a bit more to my friends. _But then he remembered that his duty to destroy his oldest "friend" was not over with yet and he pulled back such thoughts. _Just…a bit._

* * *

Christmas was around the corner for the town and the heavens seemed determined to make it a white Christmas. Snow fell in layers from the sky and coated the bustling town. If school was in, Arthur decided, he was certain that there would be multiple snow days. Yule was also just around the corner but it didn't fall on Christmas day this year but rather a couple days before it. Arthur needed to set up his altar at his house accordingly and decorate for the beautiful holiday. In his mind he could already picture the blues and whites of the candles as well as the flowers he would lay on it. He considered what exactly he wanted to do for this holiday and whether or not Lukas and Vladimir wanted to join in on the festivities. They probably did but they didn't have a meeting about it before. He would need to go to the dorms eventually and ask them. No doubt that this time appropriate attire would be needed rather than going skyclad.

Work at the Juice Bar became easier after a couple days of trial and error (mostly error) with the drinks. Customers didn't complain as they saw that Arthur really was trying his hardest and he almost always got it perfect on the second try. His duties required him to not only go into town to buy supplies for the Bar but to also take orders, make them, and clean up. Naturally Katyusha helped as well but there were occasions when Arthur was on a successful streak that boosted his pride and she just let him have at it with all of the customers. Working at the Bar was fun for him. He didn't really like having to deal with all of the people (and thus their auras) so often but most of the auras were rather weak anyway and he could block out the rest. He was a good employee after all and more than earned his pay.

It was the evening before Yule and the Bar was slowly shifting into a more adult bar as the pastries began to be put away and the fruits were to be stored for tomorrow. Arthur went over to a table where someone had spilt a smoothie and wiped it down quickly before he went to go hang up his apron. "Thank you so much, Arthur." Katyusha called to him from the store room as she began to bring out the alcohol. Arthur moved to help her but she waved him off with a friendly smile. Arthur smiled back at her and pulled on his trench coat.

"Good bye, then." He said and pulled the front door shut behind him to start walking. He jumped as he bumped lightly into someone and hurriedly apologized. "I'm sorry, I didn't see you."

"Nah, it's cool." He blinked in surprise to see that he had run straight into Alfred but Alfred appeared distracted as he looked past Arthur with a frown at the Juice Bar. He tilted himself to look through the windows using Arthur's shoulders for leverage to see higher as Arthur watched curiously. Finally after a minute of appraisal he looked at Arthur with a grin, not releasing his shoulders. "Hey, did'ja just come out of there? Was anybody in there?"

"Besides Katyusha, no." Arthur shivered at the warmth literally radiating off of Alfred. Maybe this was why the boy was always cold in this weather? All of his heat was too busy being worked off of his skin in massive loads. "Why?"

Alfred clicked his tongue with a frown, glancing once back more at the Juice Bar. "Damn. I'm looking for Matt. He ran off with Gilbert saying they were going out and I wanted to follow them. Thought for sure that they would come here. Oh well." His hands slid down Arthur's arms causing the boy to stiffen before the hands dropped off and back to Alfred's sides. "How's work going? Is Katyusha letting you cook? Please tell me she's not letting you cook."

Arthur scowled at him. "It's going well, thank you! And my cooking is perfectly fine!" He didn't like the reminder of how much his friends had all hated his treats that he had promised to bring them a long time ago. It had ended up with a lot of gagging (for those brave enough to try the "food"), some people not even trying them, Gilbert passing out, and Alfred complaining (yet he finished all of them off). He was still quite sore about the whole of the event preferring not to cook again for them.

"Well if you're cooking, I'll just have to buy all of them so as to save everyone's lives. Maybe I'll use them for charcoal for my next barbeque!"

"I swear to god, Alfred-"

Alfred laughed and wrapped an arm around his shoulders. "I'm kidding. I don't need another beat down, okay? My lip has finally healed." Arthur smirked at him. He was actually rather proud that he had managed to take down the quarterback. "Hang out with me a bit; I'm gonna get a coffee."

"You can't." Arthur stopped him and ducked out from underneath his arm. His head was beginning to swim and Jeanne was reacting to it sending spikes of energy into him. It wasn't helping his head clear any. She was working against him. "She's already started serving alcohol. That's why I'm done for the night."

"What! It's not that late already, is it?" Alfred patted himself down for his cell phone and pulled it out. The blue light lit up his face and reflected in his glasses. He cursed.

"You do realize it becomes dark earlier in the winter, correct?" The British boy asked him amused as he began to walk away. Alfred hurried up to him and pocketed the phone.

"Of course I knew." He puffed out his cheeks in annoyance. "I just didn't think I'd been running around this long." They fell into silence as they walked companionably together. Arthur looked at Alfred's silhouette from the corner of his eye and continued to stare. The yellow light from the street lamps made the wheat-coloured hair of the American light up gold and created an almost majestic feel to him. He almost seemed like an elfin king that Arthur faintly recalled meeting once upon a time when he was very young. His skin was smooth without any kind of blemish of acne and his jaw was not quite square but it wasn't rounded out like a female's either. He had the faintest hint of laughter lines around his eyes and mouth already that one wouldn't notice unless they were looking as long and hard as Arthur was. He held himself high with a strong back that showed off his power to those around him. It was no wonder Alfred had an aura such as what Arthur could sense; the boy was strong in absolutely every sense of the word. He found himself wishing to feel that power for his own –to have the muscled arms around him, to have the full flare of that aura engulfing him, to feel the strongest of emotions Alfred could possibly give him. What sort of emotion would that be? Hatred? Fear? Joy? …Love? Arthur had no idea. He knew that love was a very strong emotion but he only knew of the love between him and his grandmother. Clearly he and Alfred couldn't share the same familial connection. What would it feel like to experience a different type of love? Arthur's curious and somewhat muddled mind begged to know.

Suddenly green eyes found themselves staring into questioning but laughing blue. Arthur's head had turned to stare openly at Alfred at some point in time during his thoughts. "You've been staring for a while, Artie. Am I that handsome?" His voice was slightly different somehow, Arthur noticed. It was a bit deeper and more rugged. It wasn't unappealing even in its teasing nature.

Arthur turned his head away quickly, flushing with embarrassment. "Of course not! Don't be so conceited! I w-was just considering how much of a fool you looked!" Alfred barked out some laughter not falling for such a blatant lie.

"Hey, you're not doing anything tonight right?" He suddenly asked. They were arriving into the playground area of the park so they weren't far from the street. Upon Arthur confirmation he suggested, "Well why don't you sleepover at the dorms with me? I doubt Matt will be home since he's been after Gilbert's tail for a while and they're finally on a date. You can take his bed."

Arthur grunted as he thought about the Canadian. True that there had been some type of awkward love triangle bouncing clumsily around between Gilbert, Matthew, and Elizaveta. Gilbert couldn't seem to get his feelings set straight and everyone else in the group tended to ignore it knowing how sensitive it was. Gilbert wasn't actively going after either of the two but it was clear that he wanted Matthew too…but his lingering feelings for Elizaveta were standing in the way. It didn't help that the poor Hungarian girl also had her own love triangle that was going on (as Arthur was informed by her herself) between her, Roderich, and Gilbert. She loved both of them and was trying her damndest to get over Gilbert so the waiting Matthew could have him but that clearly wasn't happening. And poor Matthew was stuck in the middle with a roller coaster of emotions taking him on a very hilly ride that didn't seem to have anyone who was willing to stop it at the moment. Arthur pitied his friends for their issues and was quite content with the fact that he didn't have to deal with such things. This was a small part of the reason as to why Arthur didn't like dating.

"No, thank you." He'd rather sleep in his own bed than Matthew's. Besides, he didn't think he could stand to be in Alfred's presence for so long as overnight. It was bad enough that he was addicted to the boy's aura but he didn't need to indulge in it as well. He wasn't a fool and that was dangerous.

"_**You're completely ridiculous!**_" Jeanne huffed, frustrated. Arthur firmly ignored her. Alfred led them around the large circle of the playground rather than the straight shot through to the sidewalk by the street.

"Oh come on," Alfred said, "you never join in on my sleepovers because you're never at the dorms. Don't you ever have sleepovers with friends?"

"I've never had friends to have sleepovers with." Arthur found himself saying before he really considered what he was about to say. It wasn't wrong because he'd never been invited to sleepovers before and the closest things he had to friends had either died or had been faeries.

Alfred jerked to a halt, shocked. "You haven't? Didn't you have any friends growing up?" The way he worded it stabbed at Arthur.

"No." He stared at his own steaming breath in an effort to avoid those toxic lovely blue eyes.

"Come here." He grabbed Arthur's hand in his own and led him quickly over to bench where he sat them down. He then turned halfway in the seat to face the boy. "Can we talk about something for a moment, please? This has been bugging me for a long time." Arthur felt a foreboding feeling and said nothing as he watched Alfred. The boy continued, "Arthur, is everything okay? Can you, like, tell me something about your past? I know it seems like a lot of bad stuff happened," Arthur scoffed mentally. This American had no idea, "but we're friends, right? Can you just…talk to me a moment?"

Arthur avoided his gaze to stare at the trampled snow in front of them. He folded his arm across his chest and huddled down slightly. "There's far too much to talk about and a majority of that I never want to discuss."

Alfred sighed and scratched his head through his ski-cap as he thought. "How about this then: why didn't you have any friends? And is that the reason you didn't want any when you moved here?"

Arthur glanced at him. Alfred could be perceptive when he wanted to be. "…Yes, to your second question." He hesitated to answer the first and waited a few moments to gather how he wanted to word himself before saying, "And I…was a victim of much bullying in the past. I moved around quite a bit because of…events. I never had the opportunity to make any real friends let alone have sleepovers."

"Bullying?" Alfred asked and twisted himself into a normal position facing the playground equipment. His body was a bit too close but Arthur enjoyed the heat. "How could they bully you? What was it about?"

"Stupid shite, some of which wasn't actually true. They called me ugly names and fought with me and called me things like 'faggot' even though they're the ones who would touch _me_. Bloody bastards." Arthur scowled, angry at the past but sighed to release it. It didn't bother him so much anymore (except when anything similar to bullying began to happen to him again) because it was overshadowed by events that usually happened _after_ all of this had occurred. But Arthur would rather not think about that at the moment.

"Well are you a fag?" Alfred asked, watching him.

"I believe we've already had this conversation before."

"That's true, huh? Well as you can tell we don't really give much of a fuck about sexuality because of," he waved his hand in a general direction as he mentally indicated various friends of Arthur's that were dating people of the same sex, "and if it makes you feel better I play for both teams…you know, as in bisexual." He added remembering that Arthur didn't understand that metaphor.

"Really?" Arthur looked at him in mild surprise. "You don't strike me as one who would be a homosexual."

Alfred let out a frustrated huff of air and gave a rather exasperated look. "Are you serious?" He leaned in closer to Arthur and Arthur's eyes widened as Alfred's voice lowered some, "How is it not _obvious_ that I like guys?" Arthur's face grew hot and he found himself mentally fumbling for words as he looked everywhere but at Alfred. Of course Arthur couldn't possibly know that Alfred was gay. Yes, he did seem a bit too touchy with males but he did that to females too (with some restraint). On top of that Arthur hadn't seen a single person that Alfred could've been interested in. How was he supposed to know?

"W-well," he stumbled on his words as a distraction but Alfred had leaned back and was now sitting back against the head of the bench rather lazily. His hand was still sitting next to him looking rather inviting without any gloves over those no-doubt cold fingers. Only his face was turned towards Arthur and the British boy made the fatal mistake of meeting those eyes. They burned with an intensity in them that reflected the atmosphere outside. Something was charged between the two boys and it was drawing Arthur in fast. He tried to resist (really he did) but he knew that he was captured. From the corner of his eyes he spotted their auras blending and encompassing each other as Arthur found his body leaning towards Alfred. He wanted to kiss him, he realized. It was like a sledge hammer hitting him right in the chest. He liked Alfred. He liked Alfred a lot. He wanted nothing more than to give in to the coaxing that was being given unto him and crawl into his lap and curl up in that warmth and electrifying feeling forever.

But reality was a harsh thing and he knew that he needed to resist. He needed to bury this emotion and he needed to bury it fast. He ripped his eyes away to glare sorrowfully at his slightly trembling hands. "Stop that." He whispered, unable to bring his voice any higher. To his shock it was rough just as Alfred's had been earlier. He swallowed thickly to try to clear it.

"Stop what?" Alfred asked, a little confused. Still the intensity between them didn't diminish. His aura was still stroking Arthur's own flashing one. It was exceptionally intimate and made Arthur's heart pound faster with the urge to get further into it. He felt as if Alfred himself was stroking him –his arms, his face, his legs, his heart, his soul- and it was almost too much for the struggling boy to handle.

"Stop…everything. Stop looking at me that way. Stop this feeling. Stop…trying to make me fall for you." He whispered breathlessly.

"You finally noticed? I wasn't exactly being subtle about it." Arthur's heart jumped to his throat, so surprised he was by the sudden confession. But the effect was numbed down by his growing sense of sorrow.

"Alfred I…I can't. Please just stop it. Stop pursuing me."

"Why should I?" Alfred leaned forward in his seat and captured Arthur's hand. Arthur pulled it away and clutched his hands together.

"I'm not worth it-"

"_Everybody _is worth love!" Alfred denied with a quick angry shake of his head, repulsed by the idea that Arthur could even think of himself that way.

"People who love me die!" Arthur said vehemently with a glare at the boy, causing Alfred to freeze. His eyes misted over and he blinked them back looking back down at his hands. They were shaking worse now. He brought them to his lips and breathed on them to warm his suddenly cold skin. "Alfred, people around me die. That's why I can't have friends. That's why my family hates me. That's why I've moved to a completely new fucking country. It's all because anybody who becomes close to me dies!" He couldn't stop the hot tears now. He didn't even bother to try.

Alfred was silent watching Arthur's tears. He waited a few moments as Arthur gathered himself (he was thankful Alfred granted him that right) before he spoke. His voice was soft and full of emotion as a mother would talk to their precious child. He didn't touch Arthur but then again Arthur really didn't want him to. Physical comfort was not something that ever helped him so broken was he emotionally. "But you have friends now. All of us are alive and we're breathing and laughing and having fun –with you. You're our friend. And I'm alive too. None of us are dead." He smiled then as Arthur finally turned to look at him again. A single tear rolled from the boy's eye and down his cheek. Alfred reached forward and wiped cold fingers across the cheek with a mere brush –barely touching Arthur's skin but feeling like it was the most intimate thing they had done together thus far- to take away the tear. "So stop trying to fight it. Isn't it better to look at a happier future than to dwell in a sad past?"

Arthur's eyes closed as more tears dripped down his cheeks. The pain in his chest was intense and his throat was tight with a mixture of emotions. Rifling through them seemed useless so jumbled together were they. He couldn't tell the difference between the happy and the sad emotions. How long had it even been since he'd felt some of these emotions? Alfred was right, though. His friends were alive. Nobody around him was dead and for once, nobody hated him. Maybe he could actually have a bit of a brighter future. It was something he could look forward to, after all. Looking at a happier future, he agreed, would be so much easier to move forward to than one he knew would bring him nothing but pain. So he would let his first step be this. Maybe the pain in the future wouldn't be worth it or maybe it would. Who was he to know what the future brought? And so he would allow this to happen. He wouldn't force himself against something he so clearly wanted. And right now every part of him (like they already weren't before) begged him to just accept Alfred.

He found soft lips placed on his then. The cold of the metal in Alfred's glasses caused him to gasp but his body only moved closer. It was chaste with the pressure between them minimal. Arthur didn't ask for more at that moment as he experienced new emotions. For once he knew that the full feeling in his heart suddenly wasn't from Jeanne's coaxing. It was all this boy in front of him. It was acceptance and joy and the entire feeling of knowing that someone –finally someone- had come to want Arthur for their own. Someone had picked up the little broken doll that had rolled under the bed long ago and had been suffering in the darkness and had finally brought him out to see the world again as something other than a cold place. And although Arthur knew that the world was indeed a very cruel place and knew that at some point in time this decision would come back to him, he felt that in this singular moment he would ignore his logic in favour of everything that was entirely Alfred. With that thought in mind Arthur pressed deeper and Alfred gave way under his lips as Arthur tried to press all of these decisions into the other boy. He wanted him to understand him. And he wanted Alfred to know what he would need to do as he suffered from the consequences that was choosing to be with Arthur.

But Alfred didn't seem to mind. At least he wasn't complaining as his hands came up to cup Arthur's cheeks as lovingly as if he was holding Arthur's own soul in his hands. They pulled away from each other momentarily only to come back just as strongly, a surge of emotions keeping them locked. Arthur felt it as his own aura was wrapped up and completely encompassed by Alfred's own. It flowed around him with its intensity and filled him. The force was too strong to let either of them pull away from each other so soon. They would not be able to escape the sudden release of Arthur's unlocked heart so soon after it had been locked up for so many years.

But neither of them seemed to mind it.

* * *

**A/N: Today's chapter is off of the song "Left-Behind City" by Miku Hatsune. I'm trying to make my chapters more detailed so if I'm doing well please send feedback. :3**

**Review! I expect to break 75 total reviews with this chapter so let's make this happen! :D**


	13. Outwards and Inwards

**Outwards and Inwards**

Arthur couldn't sleep well. His fingers continued to return to his lips and he quivered with pleasure before he would realize what he was doing and snap his hand away as he embarrassed himself. Alfred was his boyfriend now. The moment that they had shared only a few hours ago in the park would not let them leave without their relationship changing. It was beautiful and Arthur wanted to curl in on himself to hug his heart close. Finally…finally it was full. So many years he had gone with chunk after chunk being ripped apart and shredded before his eyes. He had only a little bit left but that little bit loved just as strongly as the whole did. But Alfred had his firm grasps on that piece and that scared Arthur. What would happen now that he was in lo…no…now that he _liked_ someone. Love was too terrifying to think about. Was this love that he and Alfred had? Was Alfred claiming the last bit of his heart love? He didn't want to even consider it. It was all too soon and far too fast.

The night had ended just as quietly as it had begun for the two. Three kisses were given in total –each longer and more sensual than the last- but they were enough for them. It had left Arthur's body almost physically shaking from the volatile emotions surging through him. He couldn't speak but Alfred didn't call for any speech. They had both stood together and held each others' hands as they left the park. At the entrance they stood there silently. Arthur had to question if he even wanted to date Alfred. Did Alfred even want to date him? It wasn't like there was a confession made between the two at all and it wasn't the first time they had kissed. Alfred had kissed him on Halloween night but they didn't become boyfriends. But then again that chaste kiss didn't affect Arthur nearly as much as this night did. He wanted to lean on Alfred's chest, sigh, and just sleep. He didn't want to support himself any longer. His day at work mixed with this emotional experience was enough to make him want to collapse. But in a happy way. They had parted without much speaking. Alfred had smiled at him sweetly –causing Arthur's heart to jump into his throat at the sight- and said, "Hey on Christmas, do you want to go on a date? Around noon or something? Do you have work?"

Arthur shook his head and swallowed thickly. "I…are we dating then? As in…" He didn't finish. He hoped that Alfred understood him enough to know what he was asking. He felt a mortified blush strike across his face because he had to even ask. Damn the fact that he was so inexperienced. He was sure that he would be laughed at.

Alfred's hand squeezed his a bit before he released the pressure but not the appendage. "I was hoping to, yeah." He shrugged nonchalantly even while his eyes glanced hopefully into Arthur's and then away again. Arthur realized then that he wasn't the only nervous one. Maybe by some miraculous turn of events Alfred truly liked him too. It was mindboggling.

"Then…yes. Where do you want to meet?"

"Let's just start near the school." He grinned at him. "We'll find something to do."

Arthur nodded his okay. "Christmas then." He hesitated before he pulled his hand from Alfred's. Already it was growing cold so he tucked it quickly into his pocket to preserve whatever was left of Alfred's heat on his hand.

"Bye!" They both stood there for a half second longer than necessary before they both turned and went their ways home. Arthur had fidgeted by himself through dinner thankful that Allistier hadn't been home. He was left alone to his thoughts and he often sighed gently. Throughout dinner he would touch his lips or gently stroke his hand. It was only after dazing for a good five minutes after he had finished his dinner did he stand up, ashamed of his strange behaviour and clean his plate before he went to shower and then sleep. Sleep didn't come as quickly as he expected, though. His body was tired but his mind was traveling around at the speed of light as images from the day blended in his mind. He could remember the way Alfred's caring eyes stared at him intoxicatingly. The touch of those sports-roughened palms on his cheek sent pleasurable chills up his spine. The soft and sturdy lips that he'd pressed to Arthur's own unsure ones were reassuring and invigorating causing electricity to spark between them. Once again Arthur found his fingers on his own lips trying to replicate the sensation and he had to berate himself before huffing and rolling onto his side to stare at the curtains to his window. The streetlamp outside broke through somewhat through Arthur's royal blue curtains. He had hung them up recently to block out some sunlight but not all. He didn't want blackout curtains anymore. The slight glitter within the curtains sparkled with the sight as Arthur's thigh brushed against the hems of them. He stared at them trying to blank his mind but was only reminded of the glittering in a different shade of blue.

His eyes began to drift close at the thought as he finally began to relax when a shadow darted across the curtains. His eyes opened wide and his hairs went on end at a drop in temperature and he sat up swiftly, looking around the room. He scanned every corner carefully and then threw back the curtains to look out the window. Everything appeared to be normal. He didn't see anybody or anything. He couldn't sense anything either. Still his body felt colder than it had been only moments ago. He glanced around the room again, cautiously beginning to lower his guard. Perhaps it was his imagination? _It was probably a tree._ He decided. Nevertheless he felt unsafe and so he walked over to his dresser to grab his dragon earring and put it on. The warmth of protection washed over him and he instinctively relaxed. He crawled back into the bed and cocooned his self in the blanket before closing his eyes. It was only right before he lost consciousness did he remember that there weren't any trees near his window.

* * *

The sun was warm on the cold day as Arthur walked towards his meeting place with Alfred for the day. He had been unsure of how exactly he was supposed to dress. For dates he knew that girls usually dressed up to try to impress their date with their beauty for a great "first" impression. Arthur wasn't a girl, though, so he didn't need to gussy up too much. Eventually he dressed normally with a heavy black jacket over top of a tee-shirt scrawled with The Who across it in sharp red lettering. He also wore a plaid red and grey bandana around his neck rather than opting for a scarf considering how much warmer it was today. He wore black boots. There was just a hint of black eyeliner underneath his eyes as well. It had been a couple of years since he had worn his punk outfits but really he still thought he looked sexy in them. It may have not been "gussied up" but he still wanted to impress on his first date. He was determined to wow Alfred.

He glanced around him, unwillingly nervous as he sat on the bench nearby the school. He couldn't see Alfred anywhere nearby or anybody else for that matter. He didn't expect anyone to be at the school during the break anyway and Yao's office was on the other side. His heart thudded against his ribs and he pressed his hand to his chest in an effort to calm himself. It wasn't so much that he was worried that this was a date but more of the fact that his and Alfred's relationship had changed. Dates were just going out with people anyway so this wouldn't be much different. His and Alfred's relationship was a different level than what he had ever experienced before. It made him warm –perhaps even warmer than the sun itself was- and he couldn't help the small smile that he gave to himself.

"_**You're so cute, Arthur.**_" Jeanne said as she appeared in Arthur's mind's eye in front of him. He looked up to gaze at her. She was still in her winter apparel and was smiling at him gently if not a little bit smug. Arthur frowned at her, sensing the feeling of superiority coming from her.

"_What the devil are you so smug about?"_ He demanded mentally.

"_**I knew that you loved him."**_ She told him as she walked around in front of him. Her fingers brushed across the one of the tall poles in front of the school that displayed the flags of various countries. Not surprisingly the American flag was the largest. Her energy lingered on it even as she moved on, leaving a faint pink translucent trail. _**"And you didn't believe me.**_"

"_I don't love him."_ Arthur stubbornly thought. Love was too strong of a word to be using after only knowing Alfred for a couple of months. On top of that they were just now starting to experience their feelings for each other. Arthur refused to believe that he was in love with Alfred. Such a thought terrified him.

Jeanne picked up on this fear and gave him a long look. _**"You'll realize eventually." **_She approached him and pressed a hand to his chest over his heart. It jumped under her fingers as her energy gently soothed his rapidly beating heart. He sighed as a soft feeling of bliss entered. So this is what her energy felt like with his heart finally released from the bonds Arthur had put on it. It was a mixture of different feelings: it was familial love and friendship love but for the first time Arthur could feel romantic love blooming shyly within him. He gasped and jerked away from her, scared and exhilarated. She stopped releasing her energy into him. _**"See? It's already blooming, Arthur. I just let you become more aware of it."**_ Arthur's eyes misted for a second at the lovely feeling. It would be beautiful when it was fully grown, he was sure. For now he pushed the thought away. Jeanne pressed a soft kiss to his forehead before she faded and Arthur became aware of the approaching figure.

Alfred was dressed in his heavy WWII bomber jacket and a light blue tee-shirt with thin dark blue stripes horizontally stretching across the width of his chest. It was tight to show off his muscles. His dark blue Levy's hung on his hips sensually but didn't drag over his sneakers. A pair of dogtags hung from a silver chain around his neck. His hair was messy as he ran over towards the flags and panted as he came to a stop. Arthur discovered himself staring. "Hey, Artie!" He said as his breath came back to him. Hot puffs of air escaped his lips with each word. Arthur couldn't figure out where to look and eventually scolded himself. Why was it that he was suddenly so hung up on Alfred? He only needed to act normally around him. He would let Alfred take the lead to show him what he needed to do but then Arthur would do his fill of being a proper boyfriend. "Wow, you look different. I've never seen you wear that." Arthur stood and avoided flushing as Alfred's eyes drifted over his form. "It looks good but are you wearing make-up?"

Arthur scowled, now blushing, and sent him a scathing look. "Mascara can be used by men and women!" He huffed and looked away frowning. Alfred grabbed his hand and laughed, startling him.

"Hahaha, whatever you say! Let's get going already!" He pulled Arthur to his side despite the boy's protests. Arthur stumbled and had to catch himself. Alfred waited for him to straighten up and then linked their fingers together, officially sealing Arthur's complaints off as the British boy looked at him in surprise. Alfred was jumping so effortlessly into this "dating" thing. Alfred's grin softened to a smile. "Where do you want to go? Anything you want to do?"

"You're…actually asking me?" He asked, startled.

Alfred puckered his lips as he thought and rolled his head back and forth. "You're right; I'll choose!" He laughed as Arthur sputtered.

"That didn't mean that I didn't want to choose!"

"Let's walk in town! I'm having a party tonight in the dorms so maybe we can go hunting for some presents! You got money? Do you even have presents?" They began their trek and walked across the street and headed for Main Street.

"Party! I wasn't informed of this." Arthur said. He did have some money considering he was paid last week but he didn't know how much money he would need.

"You weren't? Well there is one. Christmas, you know?" Arthur hadn't celebrated Christmas for a while. His parents did give presents out on Christmas but they had never made a big deal out of it in the past. Arthur hadn't even planned on celebrating it at all. He was already done with Yule so he was preparing for the New Year. He didn't even consider that Alfred would be throwing a party. Maybe it was more along the lines of that he wasn't expecting to be invited to another party. "Anyway we're doing a Secret Santa event so that we don't need to buy presents for everyone. Even the girls are all coming. We'll be going later on tonight, okay?"

Arthur raised an eyebrow at him. "I don't recall you saying we were going to a party. Who says I even want to go?" He wasn't prepared to experience being surrounded by so many people again. It was bad enough going to school or work but parties were hard on him. He would need to take migraine pills and everything in order to even concentrate.

"You don't have a choice!" Alfred said cheerfully. "You're my date to the party! Everyone needs a date at parties!"

"You didn't have a date on Halloween." He accused.

"Well not _officially_ but since we were a pair in the way we dressed…"

"I only dressed that way because you _purposefully_ ripped my pants!" Arthur argued.

"Maybe I just wanted to get you out of your pants." Alfred's eyes sparkled mischievously. Arthur blushed and bared his teeth at him.

"Stop with your lies. You only wanted me to dress up in that ridiculous outfit!"

"Guilty!" Alfred chortled and swung their hands playfully together. Arthur tried to resist it considering people were staring at them but Alfred was either ignorant or didn't care about their stares. "But, hey, you pulled it off!"

"I _don't_ consider that a compliment, you blasted fool." Arthur grumbled. When Alfred continued to laugh Arthur gave him a sour look and elbowed him hard in the side. Alfred grunted and then nudged him back. Arthur gave him a smug look which Alfred pouted at, rubbing his ribs.

"I don't see why not. Not many people can pull off the classic Robin. You need the right kind of legs for it." Arthur blushed again.

"J-just shut up about it! I don't want to be complimented on my legs! That doesn't make me happy at all! I'm not a woman!" Alfred's shoulders rose and dropped with a roll of his neck letting the topic drop with it. Arthur tried not to seem obvious in his sulking as he looked at the stores they passed. It wasn't as if he hadn't been in this part of town before but everything seemed to be different. He hadn't walked the town since winter began and the shimmering of the fresh snow in the bright sunlight made the world seem cleaner. People were all in generally good moods as they greeted Alfred with smiles. Alfred greeted all of them as well and Arthur was forced to acknowledge that Alfred was much more popular than previously thought. Did he get along with everyone? What exactly was the amount of his suitors? Surely there were many. It made Arthur uncomfortable, as if he had received a prize he didn't really earn. The thoughts pricked at his skin. Why did Alfred have to choose _him_ of all people? Why hadn't he just left Arthur alone? It would've been better for both of them, after all. Alfred was popular and Arthur was…a murderer. They didn't match whatsoever. The thoughts made his arm twitch in Alfred's grip in an unconscious effort to pull away from him.

He didn't notice Alfred glance at him with a worried look from the corner of his eye. Arthur was frowning, clearly looking upset and uncomfortable. His thoughts were rather clear when he wasn't consciously trying to hide them. He didn't even realize when he was doing it. It was only if one paid attention to Arthur long enough did they realize these things. Usually the Briton caught himself within a few seconds and hid away the faces as he applied an impassive façade. Alfred's hand jerked him out of his thoughts and forced Arthur to look at him as he was tugged across the street quickly. "Here's a store, Arthur!" Alfred cried, grinning again. His eyes seemed darker somehow, Arthur noticed. It caused his heart to pump a particularly thick bit of blood through his veins. It was painful to see. Something had made Alfred upset. Arthur looked around wondering what it could've possibly been.

"Ah, are we buying presents here then?" He asked as they entered. Alfred squeezed Arthur's hand for a moment before he released it as they entered. Arthur suddenly felt colder than he had been outside despite the heat of the store. However, he was glad for the release. It was difficult enough for him to walk publicly around while holding hands so he could find it even harder to walk in a store. Besides he could see people he knew here. It wasn't that he was ashamed to be with Alfred but Arthur wasn't comfortable enough with any kind of relationship that made him be in physical contact with a person for long periods of time. His hand tingled with the excess of Alfred's energy transfer to him. Arthur needed to remember to hold Alfred's hand with his exerting hand than his receiving one next time –he already felt light-headed and hyper. His body jittered with the urge to run.

"Yeah! Where d'ya wanna go? Toys? Shirts?"

"How about candles?" He suggested seeing the selection. Alfred pouted at him and Arthur resisted the urge to grin. Yes, he would definitely need to burn off this energy soon.

"Alright." Alfred reluctantly agreed and walked with a fast pace over to the candles, immediately pulling one down to sniff it. Arthur took his time examining each of the bright candles. There were many Christmas-related scents out such as Evergreen Trees (Arthur would laughed as he tried the scent because of his mind supplying him the image of Lukas) and Peppermint Winter. "Hey Artie, how about this one?" Alfred grabbed one of the normal scents and pulled off the top to shove it under Arthur's nose. Arthur scrunched up his nose in distaste at the shoving but the nasty face disappeared with the scent. His eyes widened and brimmed with tears immediately, surprised. Alfred whipped back the jar with his own wide eyes. "You're crying?"

Arthur wiped his tears, embarrassed. "Sorry that was…just the scent of my grandmother. It brought back memories."

Alfred averted his eyes, melancholy. "I'm sorry. I didn't mean…"

"No," Arthur took the jar from his hands and held it to his chest, "thank you. They're happy memories so you don't need to worry." He gave Alfred a small reassuring smile that was tinged with a hint of darkness from his bitter memories before he placed the candle back.

Alfred watched him for a moment and glanced at the candle. "Are you sure?"

"Yes, I'm sure." He moved past the American to pull down another candle. In the end, Arthur didn't find one that pleased him enough. He pondered what kinds of gifts both males and females would like as he and Alfred walked the store. Alfred seemed to get over his earlier fault and cheerfully recounted old stories from the past few years at school. He told Arthur about how he'd previously lived all over America as well as a couple places outside of the country because his father worked in the military in a high position. This had amused the British boy that they had that much in common and told Alfred about how he too had lived all over his own country. Although their reasons for all of the moving were quite different the boys laughed about the similarity. Together they complained about the moving process and groaned about some of their old homes as they searched for gifts.

"I actually lived in England for a year before!" Alfred told him as they played with some toys.

"Did you really?" Arthur asked, surprised. "Where?"

"Um…it had a really weird name…" Alfred scratched a small mole on his neck Arthur had never noticed before. Now that he thought about it Alfred often scratched that spot when he thought. It was a bit endearing for Arthur to find out why. It was also nice to know that Alfred had blemishes somewhere considering he didn't have any freckles on his tan skin (that Arthur had seen so far). "It started with an 'I' and was somewhere near the ocean…Shit, I was young and I can't remember the name!" Alfred laughed.

"Ipswich?" Arthur supplied.

"Yeah, I think that's it! What kind of name is that?"

"Hush, you. I lived there as well. It's a nice town, I suppose." He shrugged.

"That's probably where I developed my like of British accents." Alfred said absently and caused Arthur's cheeks to pink a bit.

"I'll never understand American's obsessions with British accents. They don't even sound the same in most places. Exactly what part of Britain is it, anyway?"

"I think it's in general. I lean more towards English accents myself." He smiled flirtatiously at Arthur. Arthur threw a nearby mini toy football at him, embarrassed but a tiny bit flattered. Alfred effortlessly caught it and placed it to the side before he pressed a button on the showcase toys. It blared out instructions from a small screen and lit up. The ruckus caused a few parents' attentions to turn to the boys. Arthur and Alfred tripped over themselves to rush out of the section not wanting to be associated with the noise and laughing. They ran until they reached the food section of the store and stood together panting and giggling together. Arthur's lungs hurt as he leaned on the larger boy enjoying his self. As their laughter died down the two stared into each other's eyes and they became silent. The mirthful look in Alfred's eyes changed into something different that had Arthur's breath catching in his throat. That familiar heat was back. Alfred's hand came up and cupped Arthur's cheek and Arthur's eyes closed as he expected (and feared) a kiss. Alfred surprised him by instead kissing his cheek and pulled away.

"I finally got you to laugh." He stated simply before turning to look through the chips they were near. Arthur stared at him as the boy grabbed a couple bags, floored. He realized that Alfred was completely correct; for the first time in…gods, Arthur didn't know how many years…he had finally laughed. He honestly was enjoying his time with Alfred and it wasn't the effect of anything around him. It was completely and utterly Alfred once again. Why was it this boy seemed to just loosen him up and actually allowed him to take pleasure in life again. It was almost enough to make Arthur want to laugh and cry at the same time. Perhaps that was what love…like..._** "Love"**_ was? If that was true than Arthur wanted to learn more. His curiosity would not be satiated with just this little bit of insight. He needed more.

Arthur basked in this revelation as they two continued their shopping. Alfred eventually had to run off to find a cart for the snacks he was buying and Arthur was left to carry them. When he had come back riding the back of the cart they threw the snacks into it and began their shopping experience anew. The British boy viewed everything in a new light and for the first time he allowed himself to just live in the moment. He was out with his boyfriend in a new town going to a party later and enjoying his life. Everything was perfect the way it was. He would allow nothing to ruin this.

Eventually Arthur found the present he would put into the exchange –a simple wolf necklace able to suit a male or female- and bought a small bag for it. Alfred claimed to have already bought a present earlier in the week so they left lugging the baggage around. Arthur scolded Alfred for his irresponsible spending which caused them to have to carry all of the bags but Alfred just laughed it off. "We'll build muscle this way!" He claimed.

"You're an ass and an idiot." Arthur declared.

"Hey did you know there's a choir concert tonight?" Alfred asked him as they passed a flier for it. Arthur read it as well and was surprised.

"No, I didn't."

"Should we go see it later on?"

"Will we have time?"

Alfred shrugged and the topic changed. They began to discuss their old schools –considering they both travelled around- but in this case it was rather one-sided. Arthur didn't have much to say about his schools and he certainly didn't want to have to remember it either. His smile gradually became harder to keep on so Alfred (for once) tactfully steered the conversation in a different direction. He told Arthur all about his grandfather who they had called Washington because of his looks and about his crazy antics. "What was your grandma like, Artie?" He asked after a number of amusing stories.

Arthur looked to the side as he thought. "She was…well she was the closest thing I would consider to a mother. She taught me everything that I really needed to learn to live life in as much comfort as I could. If I wanted to, I could live in the forest as a hermit." He gave Alfred a teasing smile but he wasn't lying in what he was saying. His grandmother really did teach him all about the forests and what he could eat and how to survive. What she didn't teach him, the faeries did. "When I was…bullied…she comforted me and cleaned up my wounds. We didn't like going to the hospital because it was too much trouble but she had been a nurse before in the Wars so we really didn't need to go to the hospital. She always smelled of cinnamon. Did you know," he suddenly stopped in front of a small diner and went into it. He was hungry and the early dinner courses that he could smell were causing his stomach to growl with a vengeance. He'd been neglecting it for a while now with all of his excitement. Alfred's excess energy had finally burned off of him and left him empty and starving. _No wonder Alfred always eats so damn much,_ he thought, "cinnamon has represented happiness and is the scent of joy? If you're ever sad, cinnamon is said to cheer one up."

"Really? I would've thought that would be chocolate." Alfred joked as he followed the Briton and they were seated in a booth. They set their purchases aside to sit across from each other.

"I said scent not taste, Alfred." Arthur chuckled.

"Oh!" Alfred laughed as their waitress came over. Arthur looked up to find Lili –dressed in classic fifties diner dress- roll over on roller skates.

"Oh!" She exclaimed softly to see the two.

"Hey Lili!" Alfred greeted. "It's so rare to see you without Vash in your shadow!" The boy took off his heavy jacket. Arthur followed his example and shrugged his off as well to fold it over the back of the booth chair.

Lili nodded and looked away a bit in mild exasperation. "I know. Big brother –I mean Vash-" she blushed. Arthur couldn't help his amusement at her slip-up. Before the two adopted siblings started dating Vash had always insisted on her calling him big brother. Now he supposed that things were different now that she didn't need to call him by his given name just to assert the fact that she wasn't his _actual_ younger sister, "is only overprotective, is all. I'm very grateful for it but occasionally it can become suffocating." She looked between the two of them with a sweet smile. Arthur smiled back at her and she seemed surprised to see it. He quickly dropped it, embarrassed. It was clear that he and Alfred were on a date to anyone who knew him enough. "What can I get you two?"

As much as Arthur didn't mind Lili's presence she made herself scarce to the couple so that they could enjoy their first date. A part of Arthur was frustrated by this but a contradicting side of him was grateful. It wasn't often that he was granted alone time with the American because they were usually around their friends. "God, it's so cold!" Alfred whined, shivering. He grabbed his jacket and yanked it back on.

Arthur scoffed. "You really have no tolerance for the cold, do you?" He mocked lightly.

"Shut up; I lived mostly in the warm states! I hate the cold!"

"This is the boy who initiated a snowball fight yesterday in the park with a bunch of primary schoolers." He accused.

"You saw that?" Alfred asked, surprised.

"I was working." Arthur rolled his eyes. "Of course I saw." Alfred looked a little embarrassed but quickly got over it. The two of them didn't have a large meal considering the party coming up later but they had their fill. The diner was one that Arthur had never seen before and was fascinated with. Arthur had never seen a 50's themed diner before and the décor was rather flashy for his tastes. Bright neon Coca-Cola signs hung on the walls and the smell of cooked meat and fried potatoes were the primary scents. It only caused Arthur's stomach to growl more despite the distaste of greasy hamburgers. He would allow it this one time. The few times Lili came over to bring them food or drinks Alfred chatted her up. She confirmed that she would be able to make it to the party and leaned in close to them secretively.

"Will there be alcohol allowed?" She whispered. Alfred only grinned and wiggled his eyebrows.

"Well I'm not paying for anything but no promises about anybody else." Lili smiled and covered her mouth with her hand as her green eyes glittered with mischief. Arthur stared at her stunned. She thanked them when the two finished and paid for everything before walking (or in her case skating) them out. "See you later, Lili!" Alfred called and waved his fingers, unable to wave about his laden hands.

"I didn't realize that Lili liked to drink." Arthur stated when they were a good ways away.

"Don't all you Europeans?" Alfred simply said. Arthur didn't respond. They walked together in silence enjoying the sun setting on the horizon. They would need to go towards the dorms soon. Arthur didn't really feel like dealing with a party but at the same time the thought of being left out of an event all of his friends planned on attending disheartened him. "Hey Arthur," Alfred spoke up after a few minutes. They looked both ways before hurrying across a busy street. On the other side Alfred continued as he angled them towards the high school dorms, "I…" he paused and seemed to roll the words around in his mouth. Arthur watched him as he waited. The boy didn't continue, however.

"…Alfred, may I ask you a question?" He asked after a few more paces of silence.

"Yeah?"

"Why did you choose me?" Alfred frowned at him so Arthur elaborated, "Why did you want to date me? What would be the point of it all? Aren't their better applicants?"

Alfred groaned lightly. "Arthur, what do you think this is: a job? You think people were _applying_ to date me and I chose you for it?"

"W-well that's the way I worded it but I didn't mean-"

"I chose you because I actually _like_ you!" He gasped melodramatically, "Holy shit, that's such a shocker!" Arthur glared at him angrily for his open mocking.

"Now see here, that's not necessary-"

"Apparently it _is_, Artie." Alfred said with a long look at his boyfriend, "Because you don't seem to believe it otherwise. Is it so hard to believe that I actually want to date you because I like you and I like being around you?" Arthur didn't answer knowing that Alfred would only become angrier at the truth. With a long sigh the American shifted his bags all onto one arm and wrapped his now-free arm around the Briton's shoulders to pull him close. His hand found Arthur's head and he gently pulled it to lay it against his shoulder. Arthur blushed at the loving move. "I really do like you, Arthur. Will you believe me?"

Arthur gently pulled away from him but stayed close. "Yes, I'll believe you." He said softly. "I…also like you." He glanced at Alfred and gave a small smile, shy. Alfred pinked a bit at the look. "Thank you for wanting to be my boyfriend."

Alfred smiled back at him. "It's no problem for me-" Arthur gasped and whipped around suddenly, his eyes widening. Alfred jumped at the movement. "What is it?" Arthur stared at a crowd of people, his hair standing on end. He wasn't sure what he had just seen but he had certainly felt something chilling. It was a powerful energy but he felt that it was being repressed. It was one that immediately terrified him and ripped all semblance of happiness from his chest and soul –almost as if a dementor from the _Harry Potter_ series was sucking all of the joy from him. His body instinctively jerked backwards and into the form of Alfred, immediately absorbing that warmth that naturally enveloped the American boy. His body trembled slightly. Alfred dropped his bags and wrapped his arms around Arthur, baffled but understanding unthinkingly that Arthur needed him. "What's wrong?"

"I…" Arthur's eyes darted to the form of a little girl dashing through the crowd. For a heart-stopping moment he thought it was _her_ but with a turn of that girl's head he stupidly realized that it wasn't. He let out a breath he hadn't realized he had been holding. He nearly broke down in tears from relief. "I-It's nothing. I thought I saw someone from my childhood."

"Why would they be here?" Alfred questioned him.

"You're right, o-of course." Arthur sighed and relaxed against Alfred, closing his eyes. The hairs on his skin gradually went back to their normal positions but still the slightest shaking in his legs could still be felt. He angrily berated himself mentally. Did his "_friend"_ still have that effect on him? How was he going to eventually face it if his body practically went into cardiac arrest at the supposed sight of the creature? He needed to man up and get over himself. He needed to be strong.

Alfred allowed Arthur to stay against him for as long as the British boy needed him to without saying anything. Arthur was grateful that Alfred could sense the atmosphere when necessary and after a minute they adjusted themselves. Alfred picked up his bags. "Better?" Arthur nodded the confirmation. "That's good." He turned and Arthur walked off first. Alfred hurried to catch up. Neither of them spoke for a good five minutes before Alfred reached his limit. "Arthur, I realize that you've had a bad past." Arthur glanced sidelong at him. "I just…I want you to talk to me, okay? I want to know about you and not just the happy times." Their eyes met. Alfred's stormy blue eyes swirled with emotions.

Arthur had to look away. "Alfred I…I can't. I can't tell you everything." It hurt to tell him that and it hurt to see Alfred's sad eyes. "You wouldn't believe me anyway." He whispered.

"What makes you say that?" Alfred demanded, defensive.

"I just do!" Arthur said and begged Alfred with his eyes not to ask more. Alfred scowled and grunted before looking away.

"Fine. I'll believe you –for now! But I won't accept that answer next time!" Arthur wasn't looking forward to the "next time".

* * *

The party was actually much smaller than Arthur had planned it to be. The whole of the two dorms –both the males and females- had indeed been invited but a majority of the students had gone home for the holidays. What was left of the students was only a handful but nobody seemed to mind. Everyone brought presents –some even brought more than one for friends- with them and even a platter of their favourite holiday foods. Alfred had been in charge of decorating –Arthur had been told- and it was apparent with the gaudy Christmas colours and glittering garlands strung up around the main lobby. Music changed throughout the rooms. In the lobby Christmas music blared and in the hallways there was singing from different countries playing. Mistletoe hung in practically every doorway so Arthur had to specifically avoid those areas when there were people around. He didn't want to have to kiss anybody. The atmosphere was cheerful.

Sometime soon after the party had officially started Arthur lost his date. Frankly he didn't care –he was sure Alfred would hunt him down sooner or later- and breathed a sigh of contentment at having a little bit of time away from him. He liked being around Alfred but already it was nearing six and they had been together since noon. He looked around him as he weaved between dancers and grabbed a bottle of spiced beer courteous of –he glanced at the label- one of the German students. He had a strong suspicion it was Gilbert. Beside him Ludwig stood drinking his own. Arthur took a sip.

"This is good." He stated, somewhat surprised. Ludwig looked at him. "I-I mean…"

"My country's beer has always been the best." The German stated. His voice was rough and grated on Arthur's skin. He didn't particularly mind it, though. He looked around expecting to see Feliciano somewhere nearby but didn't find him.

"I've never had it before."

Ludwig held out his bottle and Arthur tapped his own against it. "Drink up, then. It's good." Arthur chuckled at the pronunciation. As he drank he watched the other boy. He didn't talk much with Ludwig, now that he thought about it. The boy always looked stern and at attention –almost like an officer in the army. He was buff to the point that his muscles bulged. He looked even larger than Alfred himself was. Arthur felt like he could suffocate in those muscles and suddenly felt fearful for Feliciano. How would it feel for such a scrawny Italian to be wrapped in those beefy German arms? The sudden image of Ludwig over Feliciano in bed popped into Arthur's mind and he jumped before chugging the rest of the beer to remove the image.

"I'm surprised Feliciano isn't with you." He stated his thoughts as he grabbed a second bottle and discarded the first in the trashcan.

Ludwig frowned. "He went off somewhere. I will find him later." He sighed. "Chances are he's causing a disturbance."

"He seems like a hassle."

"_Ja_. But that's his appeal." Arthur watched the hardened man's features soften. Just looking at him made Arthur realize what love looked like on another. He'd never seen it before. His grandfather died before Arthur was born so he hadn't been able to experience his grandparents together. However he had seen a similar look on her face when gazing at an old picture of the old man. Unwittingly he felt jealous in his heart to see the lovebirds. He wished that they would be together forever. "I heard that you and Alfred are together."

Arthur started. "Pardon? How did you know?"

Ludwig gave Arthur a look. "The whole school found out the day after it happened. I'm sure that even those across the seas know." Arthur groaned and flushed cursing Alfred to multiple levels of hell. The German laughed a bit and drank more. As the night went on he seemed to become more and more jolly. They talked more as their lips became looser with each drink. It wasn't long before Arthur couldn't remember what happened the rest of the night. The next thing he remembered was waking up in an unknown bed and staring at the ceiling for a long period of time. His eyes took a majority of that time to focus and when he became aware he looked at his own form instinctively. He was wearing new clothes that didn't suit him at all and he remembered that he certainly hadn't gone to the party in. He was wearing a Santa jacket and tight _tight_ hot pants. He blushed at his own form and quickly covered his form with the blanket as he stood and looked around. He recognized the room he was in to be Alfred and Matthew's shared dorm but there was nobody there but himself. He kept the blanket wrapped around him to keep warm as he went to the bathroom. When he was done he thought he heard police sirens but blew it off. What kind of sane person would commit a crime at –he looked at the clock- oh, it was nine. Lovely.

He left the dorm room in search of his boyfriend and answers. The dorm was trashed with bodies laying everywhere. There was a couple or two half naked lying on top of each other. Arthur maneuvered his self to go down the stairs. There in the lobby he heard the television on. There was a crowd of people in various states of dressed. Some were in pyjamas and others were in clothing from the night before. Some, like Arthur, were in strange wear. All were staring at the television. The atmosphere of the room alarmed Arthur as his foggy mind became aware of what he was sensing. He saw Alfred on the couch and hesitated to go near him. His face was serious which was unusual for the boy. His aura, Arthur could see, was smaller than usual and seemed heavy. A sob alerted Arthur to the fact that something was definitely wrong.

He approached the crowd to watch the television as well. It was a local news channel that was on and they were in front of a familiar school. With a start Arthur realized it was the World Academy. _"A Student Found Dead in School Bathroom"_ was on the screen.

* * *

**A/N: Ah, I feel the party scene was cut short but I had to hurry it up. **

**This song is "Outward and Inwards" by Ritsu.**

**Review!**


	14. October and April

**A/N: Oh my god duckies you have no idea how long I wanted to type this but couldn't. OTL I had to flush my computer and that took Microsoft Word (my preferred typing area) along with it. I had to wait to get it back before I could continue. Oh well, at least my computer is running faster.**

**That was a longer cliffhanger than I had previously expected, hahaha!**

**Anyway, thank you to all of my reviewers so far! I almost have 100 reviews! Woo, I want to make this story popular. **

* * *

**Chapter 13: October and April**

The atmosphere of the town was one that made even the coldest winter night feel even colder. Everyone was shocked. It was unheard of to have someone die in the town –at least at such a young age and on Christmas nonetheless. The shock had crippled the community. Winter break was caused to go on even longer as an investigation went on in the school. Arthur didn't hear the name of the student who died but then again he didn't want to know. He was terrified. The thought of someone dying so close to him caused a ripple of fear to flow through his body. The very sight of the news that day had sent him to his knees and a panic attack began to occur. He ran out of the boys' dorm before he even gave an explanation, instead running all the way home despite his ridiculous attire. Once inside his house he had collapsed onto the floor and curled up allowing his body to shake. He refused to weep –what was the point?- and tried instead to contain himself. His fingers clawed at the floors of the house as he desperately held back everything. He could hear the whispers of his stones (luckily still on his form) soothing him with optimistic words (**"It can't be your fault" "The daemon wasn't around" "It's a coincidence" _"Not every death is your fault, Arthur"_**) and that was the only thing that kept him sane.

A hand touched his shoulder and he started violently, jerking up. Allistier grabbed his younger brother's shoulders and stared at him with deadly serious solid green eyes. "Was it you?" He demanded his voice cold. Arthur couldn't contain the sob. His siblings all terrified him, especially in his state of weakness that he was. He understood the tone but still he hated hearing it. The soothing words of his stones weren't helping him anymore. Too many times had Arthur's family had to deal with deaths of individuals around them –all of which were the youngest (at the time) child's fault.

"N-n…" He hesitated to say no. He didn't know if the daemon had done this. Arthur himself hadn't been the direct cause, though. Perhaps this wasn't his fault. Usually the creature tried to kill off the person while Arthur was around in order for him to feel the pain. The daemon seemed to relish the pain of others but most importantly Arthur's himself. "I don't know." He finally choked out. His head fell. His mind was collapsing in on itself in its own form of self-preservation. He wanted to sleep. He wanted to go back to yesterday when everything was still fun. He wanted to be held by…

Allistier apparently wasn't done with him, though. He shook Arthur roughly and then slapped him hard across the head. Arthur yelped and looked at him with wide eyes. "Stay awake. Did ye see anything?" Arthur thought back to the times he thought he sensed the daemon. Wasn't that it outside of his window the other night? No…that was a tree, right? But wait, he didn't have a tree…No, he couldn't psyche himself out like that. And the little girl he thought he saw yesterday wasn't _her_.

"No." He shook his head. "Nothing out of the ordinary…"

"Fine." He released Arthur then. "Go to yer bed and faint. I ain't gonna carry ye." Arthur glared at him, feeling a bit more like himself, but did as he was told.

* * *

In January school started up three days later than originally planned. The school bus was just as loud as it usually was but the auras of everyone were stronger with the emotions of the students' excitement and fear. They were going to a school where someone died recently. Normally Arthur doubted that people would be allowed back in a school where a death had just occurred but at the same time this school was one of the more important ones. The students here were being trained to be world ambassadors, after all. This school was here to connect the world in the future. They couldn't shut it down so easily when it was funded by so many different countries. The people around him admittedly disgusted him somewhat. They knew nothing about how horrible death was. He didn't want to go back to the school. The place was soiled now. But Allistier had forced him to leave the house. He hadn't seen his friends since Christmas and Arthur had a strong feeling that Allistier was determined to keep Arthur in human contact. Strangely Arthur couldn't fight that kind of ideal (yet he was suspicious of his brother's reasoning).

Arthur stepped into the school and gazed at the giant bronze statue of the world greeting him. His eyes scanned over it seeing the little red stickers placed in each country –one red and one blue- to signify there was a male and female student at this school representing that country. He tried to find the missing dot (if they even took it off) but he had no idea where to look and there were far too many. He conceded his defeat and turned nervously to look for his friends. Would they be here today? They would most certainly talk about the death. Alfred, Arthur had already guessed, had probably known the student. It was time for Arthur to find out too. He hoped (somewhat guiltily) that it was nobody that he was close to. He closed his ears to all of the noise around him as he walked quickly outside to where his group of friends usually hung out. They were all there in exception to Ivan and Lukas. Alfred's head shot up when he spotted Arthur's approaching figure and stopped his conversation. His eyes were red on the edges making Arthur flinch with guilt. The late person must have been closer to Alfred than Arthur had previously expected and Arthur had left Alfred alone to grieve. He comforted himself with the thought that he had others who had surely been there for him when he needed them.

Alfred smiled painfully at him. "Hey, Artie."

Arthur looked at him as he approached but lowered his head in shame. He had never been good at comforting a grieving person. They made him nervous. "H…hello." He greeted everyone softly. Nobody spoke for a good minute before Ludwig finally broke the silence.

"I assume you've heard." Arthur nodded.

"I just don't get it, though!" Alfred cried out suddenly and then removed his glasses. He covered his eyes and hunched over slightly, pained. Arthur watched him sorrowfully. Alfred clearly wasn't used to death. "Why Toris? He never looked like he would commit suicide! He was always…!" He cut off suddenly and got up before walking off. Arthur became conflicted about going after him. Kiku moved first but Matthew grabbed his shoulder gently with a shake of his head.

"He doesn't want to cry in front of us."

"It was…suicide?" Arthur asked. The others looked at him. Uncomfortable with the raw emotions floating around them and the attention he stuttered, "I-I haven't been watching the news. I didn't want to…" He didn't finish.

"That's what they said it was." Feliciano said softly. Arthur frowned. He had the impression that they didn't believe that.

"You don't think it was?"

Gilbert sighed through his nose with a shake of his head. Idly his fingers found Matthew's and began to stroke them. "Liz and I knew Toris back when we were forced into the 'Soviet Union'" Arthur recalled the fake club that had formed the previous year from stories he had been told. They had been doing a reenactment of World War II in a history class that had lasted a couple weeks, "and even though he was bullied by that ass Ivan-"

"But who wasn't?" Elizaveta cut in under her breath. Arthur vaguely remembered being told that Ivan had previously been a bully who nobody really stood up to except for Alfred. He didn't know so many kids had been bullied, though. He wondered how bad it was.

"-it wasn't like Ivan treated him badly. Toris was his favorite. Toris was also always really strong and he had good friends and good grades and…" Gilbert didn't finish. It was just as Alfred had said. Toris didn't have a reason to kill himself. It made the story suspicious.

"Did they ever say how he…?" Lili asked softly when nobody else spoke.

"You don't need to know that, Lili." Vash said before anybody could answer her.

Lili touched her boyfriend's cheek gently in a reprimand but smiled sadly. "He was my classmate. I want to know." Vash looked about ready to protest as he took her hand in his but Matthew spoke up,

"They are saying that he made himself bleed to death with a broken piece of tile." Arthur winced at the gruesome image that accompanied his words. A hollow feeling drifted through his body. He had a bad feeling that he knew which bathroom the death took place in. Unwillingly he felt the urge to investigate it himself. He stood up, catching their attention.

"I'm going to find Alfred." He stated.

"Arthur, I think he wants to be alone…" Elizaveta tried to protest. Arthur shook his head.

"I still want to find him."

"May I accompany you?" Kiku asked, getting up off of the table despite not receiving an answer. Arthur paused wanting to tell him no. How could he investigate with Kiku with him? The boy's presence was a comfort though. He doubted that he would be able to handle all of the other students without someone with him. Kiku was –in the best of terms- his best friend. He calmed him in a way that wasn't as…proactive as Alfred's presence did.

"Ah…Yes." He finally said and turned. "We'll see you later." They still had a good fifteen minutes before the bell rang but nonetheless Arthur walked quickly. He tried to get a reading on Alfred's aura (it wasn't difficult) but another strong aura caught his attention. He stopped and looked in the direction, seeing the trail. He didn't know whether to continue after Alfred or investigate the new trail he had found. Both held sorrow within them.

"Arthur?" Kiku called, snapping Arthur out of it. He glanced at his friend. His eyes gazed at him in a worried fashion. He gently touched Arthur's hand, causing the Briton to blush lightly. "How are you feeling?" Arthur studied him for a moment.

"I'm…fine. Don't worry about me." He decided that Alfred could take care of himself for the time being. This new trail was heading towards Arthur's original destination anyway so he walked in that direction. "Why do you ask?"

"I do not know about your past," Arthur gripped Kiku's hand tighter, disregarding the fact that they were holding hands and relishing instead the comfort, "but I have come to understand you have a strong fear of death." Unthinkingly Arthur let out a single loud and bitter laugh before he bit it back.

"You have no idea."

Kiku's hand fidgeted in his, glancing around them. He had seemed to notice the looks that they were getting and was just as uncomfortable with them as Arthur was. He had hated staring for as long as he could remember. He didn't like bringing attention to himself unless it was under his own terms. Kiku, he knew, was already a shy boy. It probably didn't help that the now-well-known Arthur (the boyfriend of the popular Alfred) was now holding hands with someone else. Arthur understood that Kiku probably didn't have as big of an issue with the hand-holding because of Feliciano but nonetheless he reluctantly let go. He didn't need rumors to start. It was bad enough so many people had heard of his breakdown before the break. It was a good thing that there was a new topic of conversation even if it was a horrid topic.

"_Ano…_" Kiku paused for a moment before he looked at Arthur, "If ever you wish to talk to someone about it…" Arthur sucked his tongue with a click of it. Alfred had an influence on the Asian, it appeared. He didn't hold as large of a grudge against the Japanese boy for it, though. It was rare that he pushed anything to get into other peoples' personal business. Together both of them entered an empty hallway and Arthur stopped in his tracks. He watched the confused Kiku before he took a breath.

"I…don't want to talk about my past. It's horrid. I can't tell you why I'm afraid of death but I can assume that you have a valid hypothesis that is as close to the truth as I ever want you to know." He looked out of the window. On the other side of the courtyard was where the scene of Toris's death had been. He could see large crowds of students going to survey the cut-off hallway. He could see even from where he was standing the chorus students gathered together in a sorrowful circle. Toris had been a major part of the chorus. That was clearly the reason as to why the boy had been in the school on Christmas. Snapping out of his thoughts he turned back to his patient friend. "However…if you're going to continue to follow me I would like you to know that I've…never been normal."

"In what sense?"

"I can…see things that other people can't. And do things that certain others cannot. And there is a chance that-" Arthur stopped himself there and turned sharply away. No, that was going too far. He couldn't allow Kiku to know that Arthur could be in some way related to Toris's death.

"Arthur?"

"No, never mind."

Kiku grabbed his own chin in contemplation. "Am I to understand that you are a psychic then?"

"…Somewhat."

"Ah." That was the only thing boy said. His voice didn't let on whether he disbelieved Arthur or not. It was a clearly neutral sound. Arthur shot him a confused look before he decided to leave to continue to follow the trail. It had a faint purple hue to it and upon touching it Arthur's found his hand feeling frozen. He quickly snapped it away and tucked it into his pants' pocket in an effort to warm it up near the warmest part of his body. He now had an idea whose aura trail this could be. There were few people with a strong enough aura to even leave a trail this long and to narrow it down more was this icy feeling. He worried about Ivan. Kiku didn't question whatever Arthur did but did give him a curious look at the sudden movement. He appeared as if he wanted to ask something but held back. Together they found themselves mixed in with the crowd in front of the hallway where the suicide (murder?) had occurred. "Arthur-kun!" Kiku called and Arthur paused as he saw his friend falling behind. The Asian had been taking the time apologize as he made his way through the crowd. Arthur had not. He reached back, offering a hand. Kiku took it and held tight as Arthur yanked him into the open space at the front of the crowd. The hallway was blocked off with police tape on both ends. In the middle Arthur could see the bathroom he had long ago marked off on his map. He worried to himself. Had what he had sensed in that bathroom earlier have killed Toris? It hardly seemed possible but he had the vague feeling that there had been something terrible in there.

The chiming of the bell caused him to jump and out of his fretting. He looked around startled before he regained his senses. A hand squeezed his lightly and he looked over at Kiku. "Shall we go?" He asked. Arthur smiled at his tone. Arthur had no intention of leaving and he had a feeling Kiku was willing to break the rules. He was thankful to be friends with this small Japanese boy. He always seemed so reserved (especially when it came to physical contact) yet he always seemed willing to break his own boundaries if it was related to Arthur. Arthur knew that when it came to Kiku he had a habit of holding his hand. He felt more desire to hold Kiku's hand more than he did to hold Alfred's a majority of the time. _Perhaps I have feelings for Kiku._ He considered idly. The thought didn't bother him. If it was Kiku then he was okay with liking him as well. That was what happened when trust developed, he was sure. He couldn't deny the attraction but he liked Alfred more still. He pushed aside the thought that maybe Kiku returned his feelings. There was no need to get into such complications right now.

"Allistier will probably be late again today." Arthur suggested, not moving and instead staring down the darkened hallway. It was like someone had left the lights off but he could clearly see that they were on. There was some kind of darkened fog around the area. Arthur's heart thudded painfully at the familiar sight. Many times before he had seen this kind of threatening cloud. It could be associated with many different entities but the most he had seen it was because of…

"_**Arthur, don't think this way."**_ Jeanne warned from around his neck. He couldn't see her presence but he heard her clearly enough. _**"You'll end up…"**_ She didn't finish. Arthur was thankful that she didn't. He knew the consequences of thinking too much about the creature but it was important that he considered the possibility. He had to think of this much like Sherlock Holmes would. He had to consider all possibilities. Nonetheless he agreed with her and pushed the thought aside (along with his fear) and began to bring up other thoughts as to how the fog got here as the rest of the students cleared out. He looked around and released Kiku's hand after he saw them gone before he crawled through the barrier that had been set up. Tentatively Kiku followed keeping watch around them. He looked like he didn't want to go into the hallway but was unwilling to leave Arthur by himself. Once again Arthur was thankful.

Cautiously the two of them approached the boy's bathroom and glanced inside. Arthur half-expected to see a body on the floor but found no such thing. Still there were stains of blood around the room. Arthur frowned at the blood pattern, finding it strange. It was in various places as well as all over the sink. It was as if Toris had panicked before he had died. Perhaps Alfred and Gilbert were right. Perhaps this wasn't as innocent as suicide that the police and news had given. Arthur winced at his own thoughts. Innocent wasn't quite the word to use for a suicide. He quickly said in apology to those who had committed suicide because of Arthur. Kiku didn't walk much further into the bathroom preferring instead to stand near the doorway. Arthur didn't blame him. He gave him a sympathetic look but didn't hesitate to go further into the bathroom.

A shuffling near them made both boys jump and Arthur prepared himself to throw Kiku out of the room. A familiar aura froze his body and he gasped for air. The sorrow within it was thick and weighed down on his body. He knew who it was. He knocked gently on the bathroom stall door, opening it. "Ivan." He called gently. The large boy turned sharply in surprise. His faintly purple eyes were brimming with tears, startling Arthur with his sudden childishness. His maternal instinct (not that he would ever admit that he had one) made him want to comfort the boy. "Why are you here?" He asked gently. He didn't reach toward him in fear the boy may snap at him.

Ivan only turned away again and wiped his eyes. "Go away." He commanded but his tone was weak. Arthur questioned how close this Russian was to Toris.

"No." From the corner of his eye he spotted Kiku making a motion at him but Arthur shook his head to tell the boy not to come close. Kiku and Ivan weren't on good terms with each other. He turned his attention back to Ivan. He felt awkward saying this but he knew how it felt to be in the boy's place, "I'm here for you." He moved into the stall and sat on the floor and waited, gazing at him. Ivan sat on the toilet seat and covered his face but didn't say anything. He seemed content with silence. His shoulders shook every now and again as he was wracked with sobs but he kept them all silent. Arthur watched and waited for him before a prod from Jeanne had him standing and hugging the other boy. Clearly this Toris had been something that Ivan had cared deeply about in his own way despite the bullying. It was good that Ivan didn't actually want to talk. Arthur wouldn't have known what to say. He was half tempted to sing the same song that Jeanne sang for him when he was sad or scared but decided against it. Only a few moments later did Ivan hug him back slowly. The embrace didn't last long but Arthur felt successful in his attempt. Ivan, he supposed, was one of those people who preferred physical comfort as it caused the boy to calm down enough to steady his self and stand back up.

The boys exited the stall silently, neither speaking of the embrace. Arthur's body trembled with the onslaught that he had received but his stones quickly worked on taking care of it. "…_спасибо_." The boy murmured. Arthur recognized the phrase that Katyusha often said to him and nodded. Ivan didn't speak anymore and left the bathroom as silent as possible. Kiku moved to allow him by, startled. The Asian seemed unnerved and jumpy. Arthur approached him and watched as Ivan left before turning to his friend.

"Are you alright? You can leave if you don't want to be here."

"It's not that…" Kiku said with wide eyes. "But…" He pointed behind Arthur. For the first time Arthur found another boy in the bathroom with them. He had shoulder-length brown hair and depressed blue eyes. Arthur could already tell he was European. When had he arrived in the bathroom with them? He hadn't seen or heard anyone come in. Vaguely he recognized him. He believed that he had gym with this boy. Why was he in the bathroom, though?

It clicked quickly enough. Kiku wasn't one to get this unnerved so easily. This boy could only be one person. "Toris…" He breathed. Toris raised his head to gaze at them and appeared surprised.

"You can…see me?" He hesitated in a timid fashion before approaching them. Arthur placed a hand over Jeanne, gripping her as his heart pounded mournfully. He nodded, his throat thick. "You seem to be the firsts." He looked around him. "Even Ivan didn't see me and he always sees me…"

Arthur looked at Kiku gauging his reaction at seeing Toris. The boy was still wide-eyed but he seemed to be calming down. Arthur wondered exactly how many horror movies he had seen over the years. He knew that Japanese movies often had terrible spirits in them (honestly it made him not want to visit Japan) so he probably feared about being cursed. Mentally he congratulated Kiku on holding his ground. He turned back to Toris and wondered if the boy knew of his predicament. "Toris, do you understand that you're…no longer a part of this physical world?"

Toris stared at him, again startled, before he sighed gently and sadly. "Yes. I've come to grasp that." He reached to grab the sink but his hand went through it. "It's rather difficult not to. Especially with the commotion in the halls."

"I'm so sorry."

Toris shook his head and smiled painfully. "There's no need to be." Awkwardly they fell into a silence. Toris looked to Kiku. "You don't need to be scared. I'm still me just…"

Kiku nodded, stopping him from finishing. "Do you remember anything?" Arthur was surprised that Kiku asked the question before he himself did. The Asian was quickly returning to his normal –if not more serious- self.

"About how I died?"

"Yes."

"I…Actually I'm rather glad you asked. I don't want people thinking I committed suicide but my story is going to sound strange." Toris admitted, scratching his head. His clothes –still wearing the chorus attire from the Christmas concert- were stainless and perfect. At least he didn't need to constantly look like his death. "I was going to leave in a bit, honestly. I'm glad I can talk to someone before I do."

"Leave?" Kiku questioned but Arthur shook his head at him. He knew that it was better not to ask such questions to the dead. Death was another story that was better for one to find out on their own. He didn't want any spoilers to such an epic tale. Toris respected his wishes and didn't answer Kiku with an apologetic look.

"Please continue." Arthur asked. "I need to know." Toris nodded to him.

"I don't remember too much because it happened so quickly but I came in here for pretty obvious reasons when it was like someone threw something at me. I turned and all I really remember was…" his voice grew thick and a shadow appeared across his face as he paled impossibly more. Whatever he had seen had terrified the poor boy, "fear. All I really remember was being terribly afraid of what I saw in front of me. I…can't even really remember what it looked like." He paused and held his head, trying to think. Finally after a minute he gave up with a shake of his head. "I can't remember. I can't-!"

"Shh…" Arthur soothed him. "Don't try to remember. It's okay." He feared for Toris's soul if he tried to remember whatever it was he saw. Souls can turn into monsters if too torn. It was better for Toris not to remember. Arthur had what he needed anyway. He would need to cleanse this bathroom if possible. Whatever is (was, considering Arthur didn't sense it anymore) in the bathroom needed to be removed immediately.

"The next thing I remember was that I was bleeding a lot. Something had cut me and my wrists were badly cut and my neck…" He held his neck, his eyes terrified. "I tried to stop it but…" He didn't continue.

"Toris…thank you." Arthur whispered. Toris snapped out of his memories and gazed at Arthur before he gave a tired sigh. "You should probably leave. You have places to go, correct?"

"I do but…" he turned to Kiku, "can I ask a favor of you?" Kiku stood at attention and nodded.

"_Hai._"

"There's a present in my room. Alfred should know where it is. I was supposed to bring it to the exchange but…Can you somehow get it to Feliks?"

Kiku's eyes turned glassy for a moment before he closed his eyes and bowed deeply. "I will do my best."

"Thank you. I really appreciate it." Toris smiled at them before he blinked. "Oh! Don't you have classes? I thought I heard the bell ring a while ago!"

"We do." Arthur said, knowing that Toris was trying to change the subject.

"You should leave! You're going to get in trouble!"

"Yes. Thank you. Good bye and it was a pleasure to meet you properly. Oh wait just a tic, we didn't do it properly." He turned back around. "My name is Arthur Kirkland. It's a pleasure to meet you."

Toris smiled. "The pleasure is mine, Arthur. I'm Toris Laurinitais."

"Good bye, Toris-san." Kiku said and he and Arthur waved before leaving the bathroom. Kiku didn't speak as they exited. Neither one knew how to account their experiences but silently they agreed not to talk about it. They arrived even later than Allistier which caused them to get scolded (Arthur was sure he would receive more punishment at home).

* * *

A week passed in which the school began to regain a sense of normalcy. Alfred and Ivan returned to hanging with the group and had even cheered up some. Alfred had been upset when Arthur and Kiku had approached him about Felix's present. "I'll…bring it to him." Alfred finally said after a few moments. He closed his eyes painfully.

"What's wrong?" Arthur asked him. Alfred sighed.

"Toris was a good friend of mine, is all. And Feliks…Feliks has been devastated, you know? He's so depressed. I don't know if he'll want the present." Alfred admitted as he glanced behind him. At a nearby lunch table Arthur spotted Feliks. He was a Polish boy who seemed to be very effeminate. He ran around wearing the female school uniform and nobody seemed to want to correct him. He had a thick "valley girl" accent when speaking in English. At the moment though his head was lowered as he sat near a couple of friends but his normal happy self was clearly down. A thick black cloud hung over him. Arthur sighed empathetically for him. He wasn't close enough to the boy to try to comfort him but then again he didn't really want to comfort anyone.

"Can you please try?" Kiku asked. "I'm sure Toris-san would've wanted it…"

Alfred laughed softly without much humour. "Yeah, he worried a lot over what to get him…Okay, I'll do it." He scratched the back of his head and turned to leave lunch before pausing. "Actually, how did you two know about it?"

"Feliks-san will need you, Alfred." Kiku prompted, avoiding the question. "Go please."

"Yeah, okay." Alfred glanced at Arthur which caused the Briton to raise a large eyebrow. "Kiss for good luck?" He teased.

"No." Arthur looked away, embarrassed.

"Tch, horrible boyfriend." Alfred stuck his tongue out at him and left the group. Arthur watched him go suddenly wondering if he really should've kissed him. Maybe that was Alfred's way of wanting comfort? Alfred certainly looked like the type to need physical comfort as well as vocal. Surely the American was still hurting too even if it's been a week already. He felt guilty now and decided to make it up to Alfred later before he sat down at the lunch table. Across from him Vladimir was eating his food slowly, a frown on his face. His pasty skin was even paler. Arthur watched him for a minute as he himself ate his sandwich before he spoke up.

"Are you alright?"

Vladimir met his eyes with a frown. "Yeah, I guess." After a moment he reconsidered. "No. This town, have you noticed, feels worse yeah?" Arthur glanced around them to see if anyone was listening but nobody was paying them any mind. He waited for Lukas to speak up but realized that the Norwegian was missing. He frowned at that. He hadn't seen Lukas outside of class since the break. He wondered where the boy was.

"I have noticed."

"It's making me sick. Maybe I am actually becoming sick. I do not know. I do know that the peoples' aura has more of an effect on me than either you or Lukas."

Arthur hesitated. "Perhaps you're sensing something?"

Vladimir stared at him for a long time. Arthur shifted, feeling uncomfortable at the gaze. Finally Vladimir spoke again. "Perhaps. If you notice anything, please tell us. Don't keep secrets when we need to help each other." With his final words he stood to go throw his trash away. Arthur was left wondering how much of a hypothesis Vladimir had formed about him.

* * *

_The world around him was black and white which to someone of a conscious mind would make them realize something wasn't right. Arthur didn't notice the lack of colour in his world as he ran through the hallways of the school. He could hear screams in the far off distance and he knew he needed to hurry. Behind him he felt as if the devil himself was nipping at his heels but he was too scared to turn around and see if this was true. He knew it would end him if he dared to look. He ran down the hall and made a sharp left before he slipped and fell. Blood covered him as he jolted upright. He was in the bathroom. In front of him Toris was screaming as he fought off a foe he couldn't see. His arms, covered in the boy's own fresh blood, were flung every which way causing blood to splatter. How could the police possibly consider this scene one of a suicide? Arthur tried to help but found the blood held him almost like glue to the floor. He reached to help Toris, crying desperately for him when-_

_Suddenly there was no blood at all and people travelled in and out of the bathroom as they pleased. Arthur exited around the people and turned to look at it. To his right he saw himself suddenly and backed away, afraid of why there were two of them. It was never good to see one's own self walking around in the world. The Arthur in front of him paused as something flashed in the corner of his eye and frowned as he gazed in that direction. Seeing nothing, though, he continued on. Arthur himself had been facing the bathroom and had seen exactly what it had been. It had been Toris but his mind told him it was not really Toris. __**Of course.**__Arthur realized. __**I had seen Toris's doppelganger. **__God, how could he have been so stupid? He should've realized it earlier. He may have been able to prevent this death. Arthur fell to his knees and cried out as suddenly something cut him._

Arthur jolted up in his seat by the real feeling of pain and gasped to find himself leaning on Alfred's shoulder. His arm hurt from where Alfred was still pinching him. "Ow! Bloody fucking hell, Alfred!" He smacked Alfred's hand away roughly. "That hurts!"

"Sorry, but you looked like you were having a nightmare and you weren't waking up." Alfred pouted, rubbing his hand. The two of them were in Alfred and Matthew's dorm room watching a movie on the tellie. Arthur rubbed his eyes and sighed.

"I keep forgetting to take the pills Ivan gave me. I haven't been able to sleep well again."

"Do you always have nightmares when you sleep?" Alfred asked, concerned. He shifted next to him and turned in his seat to bring Arthur down to lay against his chest. Arthur blushed and sat up quickly, rejecting the pillow that was Alfred's chest. Alfred frowned at him but Arthur only glared at him.

"Don't do that. I don't want to fall asleep again." He brought his legs to his chest and shivered. Beside him on the couch was a bunched up blanket so he grabbed that and wrapped it around his self. "And it's not that I always have nightmares it's more along the lines of…there are rare occasions I have happy dreams."

"So you have nightmares all of the time." Alfred confirmed. Arthur opened his mouth to protest when he got cut off, "Hey, share the blanket! I'm cold over here too!"

"Why don't you warm the room up, then?" Arthur demanded. It was as if the damn heater was off or something.

"Matt likes it freaking cold and my heater is by my bed. I ain't getting up to get it! Just share!" Alfred yanked the blanket, causing Arthur to yelp and fall onto his form. Alfred grabbed him and trapped him then wrapping his arms around his back and his legs around Arthur's waist, tactfully capturing him.

"Wha- Alfred, release me!" Arthur struggled more trying to escape Alfred's legs than anything. A priority took to him then demanding he get back under the blanket. Alfred's chest rumbled with laughter as Arthur hit a couple ticklish spots on him. "Let me go!"

"Nope!" Alfred said. "And you'd better stop wiggling considering you're in a rather _sensitive_ place." Arthur stopped immediately and looked up at Alfred's smirking face. He blushed deeply and scowled at him.

"Who's fault do you think that is?" Alfred shrugged nonchalantly. Arthur smirked then, an idea appearing in his head. He lifted his body off of Alfred's somewhat causing Alfred to gaze at him curiously. Poor boy doesn't even know what kind of person Arthur is. "You're right; that _is_ a rather sensitive place, isn't it?" His hand slipped between their bodies, a devious and seductive look developing on his face. Alfred's curious look quickly transformed into a surprised and excited one. His aura flicked and expanded suddenly in a tidal wave that almost swept Arthur away but he recovered quickly, not showing his shock on his face. Instead his hand traveled downward until he was able to grab Alfred full on. Alfred continued to look excited up until Arthur's smile turned positively evil and he squeezed tightly. Alfred yelped loudly, his legs instinctively snapping tighter around Arthur in an effort to protect himself.

"O-OW! Let go! That hurts!" Alfred whimpered, his voice a tiny bit higher than it normally was. Arthur continued to smirk.

"You have to let me go first." He offered. Alfred looked him straight in the eye. The moment Arthur saw the challenging look in Alfred's eye he knew this wouldn't end that easily. No matter, Arthur had Alfred's weak point after all. Alfred's calves pressed down on Arthur's hips, trapping Arthur's hand painfully between their bodies.

"I'm not letting go. I kind of like your hand there." Alfred chuckled, his eyes flashing dangerously. His hips arched to grind Arthur's hand against Arthur's own weak point. Arthur was sure his face was now bright red again. He gritted his teeth. He wouldn't go down that easily.

His grip tightened more and Alfred whimpered. "Let me go, Alfred. I'm not against ripping it off."

"Y-You can't! You're outside of the pants!" Alfred had him there. It was becoming more difficult to keep a strong grip with the jeans fabric causing his hand to slip. On top of that Arthur had the feeling that Alfred was hurting as much as Arthur was. The boy's wrist was twisted in an awkward and painful way on top of being crushed between their bodies. Any effort to shift his own body resulted in Alfred tightening his legs even more. Arthur bit his lip, unwillingly liking this challenge and position as well.

"I-It doesn't matter! I'll still crush your balls, bastard!" Alfred grabbed Arthur's hair and yanked him down to kiss him roughly then. Arthur gasped at the sudden attack and his grip loosened. Alfred took the opportunity to flip them, grinning triumphantly. Arthur gaped at him shocked that he had been tricked like that. "Y-You bastard!"

"I win!" Alfred chirped and kissed him again before laying down on top of him. Arthur gasped for breath under Alfred's full weight so the American shifted so he wasn't laying completely on him. He brought the blanket up over them and snuggled his face against Arthur's neck. "This is my prize."

"What?"

"You sleeping over tonight and me sleeping on you 'cause you're comfy." Arthur groaned but submitted seeing wasn't going to win today. At least Alfred wasn't trying more sexual advances on him. He had honestly been getting a little scared along with his excitement. He had too much going on in his life for a sexual relationship. Just becoming boyfriends with Alfred had been too large of a step. He was afraid of getting any closer. It was like the moment he became too close to Alfred…Arthur was terrified that Alfred would be taken away from him. He didn't care if Alfred decided Arthur wasn't worth the effort anymore. It would hurt terribly but as long as Alfred remained his friend and as long as Alfred survived being friends with him, Arthur would be happy. He just needed Alfred by his side. So he would allow this mistreatment by his boyfriend. He sighed and wrapped his arms around Alfred's neck with a sigh before he closed eyes. He only hoped that his life would continue on peacefully.

* * *

**A/N: This song is "October and April" by The Rasmus and Anette Olzon. I think you can probably figure out who this song is about. You guys are smart. You have this.**

**Toris is Lithuania, btw. And Feliks is Poland**

**(hint hint: foreshadowing)**

**Anyway review if you liked the chapter! Now that I have Word back I can update more! If I'm a little slow it's because of ****laziness- I-I mean,**** I'm working on getting a job so yeah. ;D**


	15. Clock Lock Works

**A/N: You all should know that you should pay a **_**lot**_** of attention to the details in here. You would be surprised how much of it will come back to bite these characters in the butt. Do you know the term "fridge brilliance"? Hee hee, I'm gonna try to invoke it throughout the story. I would love to hear reactions upon all of your realizations.**

* * *

**Chapter 14: Clock Lock Works**

As the days went past without much incident the winter reached its peak in how cold it was outside. Even the psychos who walked around in light clothing in the middle of snow had decided it was time to dress properly. Arthur and his friends no longer met up outside and instead hung around in the hallway near Allistier's classroom (leading Arthur to have more than one negative confrontation with him. Arthur was still pissed about the drunk incident). Talk of Toris's death had decreased as the story became old. It was a comfort to Arthur to no longer hear the boy's name. Toris deserved to rest in peace. It was only the people closest to him (and Arthur) who knew that the boy had not committed suicide. His death wasn't as wide-spreading as one would expect but Arthur was still startled to see the people it affected most. He had caught Natalia standing in the hallway and crying but trying to hide the fact. Arthur had hidden himself and covered his mouth, feeling her sorrow. The girl had never before shown signs of liking anyone besides her brother (and possibly Alfred) but by the way she was grieving Arthur had come to understand that the rumors that Toris had feelings for Natalia may have been reciprocated. He whispered a spell under his breath for healing and left the hallway silently so as to allow the girl her privacy.

Arthur's winter job was never broken even with Ivan back. Katyusha, being the sweet woman that she was, allowed Arthur to continue his work for her. He was thankful for it. He didn't want to have to search for a new job and according to Allistier (who occasionally showed up for after-hours drinking when Arthur was leaving) it was a good idea. It was one of the few things Allistier had ever complimented Arthur on and Arthur wanted (unwillingly) to make him proud. It was the middle of the day and Arthur had just come in to start his shift when he saw Ivan and Alfred having an actual conversation. He stared at them wondering if perhaps he was seeing things. Never before had Arthur ever seen Alfred in a civil conversation. He considered approaching to hear what they were talking about but decided to have a reason to back him up besides just eavesdropping. He entered the employee lounge (a small room with a vending machine and a couple lockers and a couch) and dressed in his uniform and shoes and apron before he walked behind the counter. From what he could see Ivan was frowning as he listened. Alfred's face showed that they were discussing something that bothered the boy. It was almost like he was confiding something to Ivan. A pang of jealousy stabbed Arthur's heart at the thought. Alfred was telling Ivan things and not him?

_Don't be ridiculous, Arthur Kirkland. Of course he doesn't need to tell you things._ Arthur reprimanded himself. _But…What if he's talking about me?_ Fear travelled through him. He tried to think back on the recent days. Had he done something recently that would warrant Alfred's annoyance? Was it because he didn't find Alfred to try to comfort him last week? He hesitated in approaching feeling like he was a child afraid to approach his parents after breaking a dish. His hands fidgeted in front of his apron.

"Arthur?" Katyusha's voice behind him made him jump and spin around quickly. The young woman had her usual blue headband on but now walked around with a scarf similar to the one Ivan wore. Only this one was more gold than Ivan's faded pink one. Her apron had flour dust on it and the scent of cooking goodies was just beginning to float through the air. Arthur's stomach growled. Katyusha's food was delicious even if it sometimes had a strange quality to it. The woman appeared a little worried. "Are you alright? You are just standing in walkway like statue." Her hand pressed to his forehead. Arthur flushed at his personal space being invaded. "Do you need cocoa? Ivan!" Ivan and Alfred had long since turned their attention to them. Arthur cursed mentally. In her Ukrainian language she ordered Ivan to do something, smiling. Ivan nodded to her and set to work making a fresh pot of hot cocoa. From the looks and smell of it he added fresh sprigs of peppermint.

"Ah…thank you." He said unable to deny that he would like some cocoa. He felt bad considering he was supposed to be taking over Ivan's shift now but he allowed himself to get washed up in the meantime. "Hello Alfred, Ivan." He greeted them as he began to wash his hands. His cold fingers tingled as they warmed under the flow of water. He sighed pleased.

"Hey, Artie." Alfred greeted back with his usual grin. He then turned back to Ivan. "But yeah, don't you think it's strange? Feliks keeps saying all these things…I'm worried. Was he like that with you?"

Ivan's face was serious as he worked. "I do not talk to Feliks often but what he is saying is certainly not like him." Arthur watched them silently willing one of them to explain what was happening but not saying anything. This was none of his business, after all. He'd only talked to Feliks a couple of times over the course of the year so far. All he really knew was that he was Toris's best friend. They had been a mismatched couple.

It was lucky for Arthur that Alfred seemed to catch Arthur's look. He leaned his full weight over the counter rather obnoxiously in an attempt to make the interaction seem a bit more personal and said, "Recently Feliks keeps coming up to me with really weird questions and then just leaving. And yesterday he…well he said something really weird."

"What would that be?" Arthur asked as he approached him and batted his hands away, pointing sternly behind Alfred to tell him to sit his arse down properly in the chair. Alfred jutted his bottom lip out a bit in a pout but did as he was silently commanded. Beside Arthur the scent of completed cocoa filled his nostrils, blending deliciously with the scent of baked goods. Katyusha came out not long after with a fresh pan to allow them to cool a bit before she began to put them away. Ivan was washing up to prepare to change shifts but he was nearby enough to listen to their conversation. Arthur grabbed a mug and poured himself some of the cocoa and added a bit of whipped cream (he wasn't a large fan of sweets) before he set the cup aside to cool.

"Let me have some too!" Alfred said, staring down the cocoa.

"You'll need to pay." Ivan called.

"Gah! Dick! Arthur, share!" Arthur scowled at his tone.

"Are you _commanding_ me-" He didn't finish before Alfred quickly corrected his self.

"Can I have some of yours?" His eyes were apologetic enough but Arthur stared him down hard to show that he didn't appreciate being told what to do. He had a problem with authority but it certainly made his anger spike when someone on the same level as him demanded he do something for them. After a few moments he handed over the cocoa. Alfred thanked him and held onto it to warm his hands while he waited for it to cool a bit as well. "Anyway, Feliks." His face became grim again such as when he was talking to Ivan. "Yesterday he came up to me and said…Well, he said 'I've been thinking about what you said and…I think I will do it' and then he walked away."

A shudder went through Arthur. Chills raced across his skin. Something wasn't right here. "What did you tell him?" He demanded. His hand trembled slightly as he grabbed the cocoa and drank from it. The sweet taste and the peppermint calmed his nerves some but he knew that his subconscious was sensing something that Arthur himself didn't realize.

"That's the thing! I never said anything! I have no idea what he's talking about!" He looked to the side, chewing his cheek a bit. It was a habit Arthur noticed that Alfred had whenever he was thinking hard about something. A small part of Arthur was annoyed and wanted to make Alfred stop. That couldn't be good for his poor cheek. Finally Alfred looked back at Arthur. "I'm afraid that he's gonna do something drastic." Arthur passed the mug to him and Alfred drank from it deeply, taking half of its contents in one sitting. He placed the cup down and watched Arthur.

Arthur walked over to begin putting away the baked goods in the counter to show off to the customers. He didn't speak his true thoughts about what could possibly be happening. Such words never came from a person who was planning something good. Feliks was up to something and unfortunately Arthur didn't know him well enough to guess what that "something" could be. He didn't want to worry Alfred with his thoughts. The whole town felt worse than it had been ever since Toris died. It had caused Arthur's senses to become muddled. He hadn't felt this way since he was younger and still learning to sense the world around him. Perhaps the atmosphere was affecting Feliks's choices on top of his best friend dying. Arthur worried that the words "suicide" would actually become a reality. He wished that Toris was still around to talk some sense into Feliks. Arthur finally turned to Alfred. "You should keep an eye on him, Alfred. Or ask people close to him to."

Alfred nodded. "I planned on it." Arthur could see in Alfred's eyes that the boy was still sad over the death of his friend. Alfred shouldn't have to experience such pain. With a compassionate look he went around the counter to Alfred's side. Alfred perked up a bit at Arthur's approaching form and instantly enveloped him in a hug. From his position on the stool he was higher up than Arthur and so the Briton was pressed face-first into Alfred's jacketed chest. Alfred's growing familiar scent encompassed the English boy's form and Arthur closed his eyes. He felt Alfred press his nose to Arthur's hair. It wasn't much but it was all Arthur could really do to comfort his boyfriend. The warmth of his body was enough to make Arthur feel dizzy as his blood pressure rose. He wanted to kiss Alfred, he realized. His head tilted upwards a little bit hoping Alfred would take the hint but Alfred didn't move. Arthur gave up and allowed Alfred to hold him as long as he wanted. Arthur blushed, reprimanding himself for wanting to kiss Alfred in such a public place. Ivan and Katyusha were not too far away, after all. The thought made Arthur want to pull away but he decided to wait for Alfred to release him.

After a few minutes the boy did with a sigh. Alfred grinned at him. "Thanks, I needed that." Arthur gave him a confused look but Alfred just shrugged it off and didn't explain. He hopped off of the stool and faced his boyfriend. "Anyway, I'm gonna go for a bit. I'll be back, alright?"

"You don't need to tell me that, idiot." Arthur looked away and walked back around to the back of the counter.

"Well I wanted to tell you because I wanted to take you out after your work!" He leaned on the counter. Arthur glanced at him and then returned to putting the goodies away in an attempt to hide his red cheeks.

"I get off late, Alfred. I'm working nightshift tonight."

"But don't you have to leave when the alcohol starts flowing?" Alfred asked, confused.

"I can't serve it but I can still work."

"He will be a busboy." Ivan interrupted their conversation, pulling on his coat and joining beside Alfred. "He cleans tables and the floors. People spill drinks a lot." Arthur nodded. It was certainly true that often the floors were sticky during the drinking hours.

Alfred made a face. "So you can't go out with me tonight?" He confirmed. Arthur nodded.

"I won't get off until ten."

"Damn! I wanted to go see a movie." Alfred sighed and leaned the side of his head against the wall as he contemplated what to do next. "Ah well. I'll just go hang out with others today. I think Vash is holding and he owes me for the whole 'watch incident' last year." Arthur stared at Alfred in shock. Vash had marijuana? Exactly what went down in the boy's dorm rooms and why weren't the teachers ever paying attention? Then again the school didn't seem to hire attentive teachers (he thought slyly of Allistier) so he didn't expect much. He was curious about the watch incident but didn't get the opportunity to ask. "See ya, Arthur! Bye, Ivan." Alfred waved and walked out into the chill, immediately huddling against himself in the wind.

"I will take my leave as well." Ivan stated.

"Alright." Ivan turned to leave, opening the door and seemingly not minding the chill. Arthur waited a beat before he called, "Ivan!" The Russian turned to him with a curious look. "Are you…feeling better?" Ivan stared at him with unfathomable eyes for a long enough period of time to make Arthur feel uncomfortable. His aura's colours fluctuated and it was in that time Arthur wished he had Vladimir's ability to read them. Finally Ivan just smiled somewhat stiffly and walked out.

* * *

For the next couple of days Arthur heard no word of any change in Feliks. The days changed into Wednesday and still Feliks showed up at lunch so Arthur didn't worry. He trusted that Alfred would be able to watch over him if the boy decided to do anything wrong. In the meantime he had other issues to confront. Recently Jeanne hadn't been speaking as much. He was worried for the rose quartz but usually she was generally silent anyway. He frowned as he fingered her around his neck. She wanted him to wear her as a necklace a lot recently. Never before had she wanted to be a piece of jewelry before. He hoped that she wasn't changing on him.

"So Arthur!" Feliciano called and caught Arthur's attention. He had drifted out of the conversation that they had all been talking about. Beside him Gilbert was chatting cheerfully with Lili and Vash about his father's new gun while on Feliciano's side Vladimir and Elizaveta were bickering with each other. By the blush on her cheeks he was saying something to embarrass her. Arthur kept a firm eye to know when to duck down in case the girl got a weapon and threw it at Vladimir. Feliciano dragged his attention back. Beside the boy was an empty seat which meant Ludwig must've walked off somewhere along with Alfred and Kiku. The spot next to Arthur was also empty to Arthur assumed his thoughts were correct. "Are you going to the Valentine's Day dance over on Shakespeare Boulevard with Alfred?"

Arthur flushed at the thought of Valentine's Day. He had completely forgotten about such a romantic holiday. Never before had he even considered it because he had never had anybody to celebrate it with. Now, for the very first time, he had a partner. He became embarrassed and fidgeted with Jeanne more as a nervous habit. He was glad that Alfred wasn't around. Maybe for once Feliciano sensed the atmosphere. Or maybe it was just pure chance. "I-I don't know." He didn't really like the idea of going to a dance. If his and Alfred's relationship lasted long enough then he was sure he was going to be dragged to the senior prom. So many people unnerved him. At least with parties it was less personal. He could go there and get lost. If he went to a dance –especially ones that were so couples oriented- then that would mean he would need to stay with Alfred. It wasn't like he had an issue with such an idea but he preferred his alone time after all.

"Me and Matt are definitely going!" Gilbert suddenly cut in on their conversation. Arthur frowned at the improper use of grammar as the boy went on, "It'll be our first date as a couple!" Matthew, nearby, blushed.

"When did you two get together?" Elizaveta asked, startled. Arthur sensed rather than saw her hurt feelings. He had a gut instinct that everyone felt it but they all really saw it coming. Elizaveta was still dating Roderich after all and Matthew had been trying his hardest to convince Gilbert to choose him instead. The end to the love double-triangle had been headed their way for a while. Arthur hoped it didn't end with an explosion.

Matthew stepped up to the plate before Gilbert could. "Last week." He had a kind but steeled look in his eyes. He was claiming his prize for himself. Arthur could suddenly see the relations between the two cousins. He felt rather proud of the somewhat soft-spoken Matthew.

"O-Oh…" Elizaveta said softly. Vladimir looked at her almost worried. He caught Arthur's attention and Arthur stared him down. The boy was still looking extremely sick. His eyes even looked slightly sunken in. Was he alright? Arthur worried a bit before he turned his attention back to the conversation at hand. The atmosphere around them all was suddenly awkward. Lili moved around the table to sit with Elizaveta and suddenly the girl stood up. "I need to use the restroom." She announced.

"I'll join you." Lili assured and Elizaveta nodded.

"Liz-" Gilbert started seeing he had clearly affected his old frenemy but the two girls walked away before Gilbert could finish. He started to get up but Matthew grabbed the hem of his jacket and looked at him.

"She'll be alright." He promised. He appeared a little sad himself. Gilbert looked at him and sighed before returning to his seat. Ludwig, Alfred, and Kiku returned moments later carrying snacks for the group.

"Hey guys!" Alfred chirped cheerfully and sat down in his spot next to Arthur. He leaned with his hand between Arthur's legs on the boy's chair (with a sly look that made Arthur blush) and handed a can to Vladimir. "Here's the tomato juice you wanted, Vlad-man!"

"G-Get away, you fucking twit!" Arthur yelped and shoved Alfred backwards right after Vladimir skillfully grabbed the can with a thank you. Alfred flailed in his seat as he tried to regain his balance, laughing. "Keep your blasted hands to yourself!"

"But I need to use your chair to reach Vlad!" Alfred excused himself with his bullshit.

"There are other ways! And other places you can lean on!" Arthur shrieked, mortified. Their friends watched with amusement and annoyance at how loud they were being.

"I'll just use your thigh next time, then!"

"THAT'S NOT WHAT I MEANT!"

"I hate to interrupt your lover's quarrel," a voice suddenly interrupted them and Arthur glared at the new person. Behind him stood Lukas looking worse for wear but still maintaining his stoic façade. Arthur frowned, suddenly concerned, "but I need you and Vladimir."

Vladimir tilted his head a little to the side. "Is everything alright?" Lukas gave him a look and then turned back to Arthur. Arthur stood up then, ignoring Alfred's "What's wrong?"

"Yes, of course. I forgot that we had a club meeting during lunch." He lied smoothly. Vladimir followed his suit.

"Oh yes!" He nodded. "We became caught up." He smiled at everyone. "We will see you later." He promised before the three club members departed quickly. They didn't want any more questions and clearly something was wrong that Lukas wanted to address. Silently the three travelled out of the cafeteria and into a separate building near the bathrooms. It was warm there but also secluded.

Arthur spoke first. "Lukas, where have you been? You haven't been showing up for club meetings."

"I've been investigating." Lukas told them and glanced about them. Arthur looked around too but saw nothing. When he looked back at his friends Lukas was staring at him. "Have you noticed anything different?"

"Of course." Arthur said. "The whole town feels different." Vladimir nodded.

"It has been…affecting me quite a bit." The sickly pallor only appeared worse in the actual daylight that streamed through the windows.

"Have you tried putting up a shield?" Arthur recommended. Vladimir nodded.

"Personally it makes me feel worse because of the type I am." He sighed and adjusted the little hat he wore on his head before fixing his hair. "I do not have enough control over such shields. It cannot be strong but it cannot be missing either."

"We'll work on it." Arthur promised. He remembered the days when he couldn't block out auras and he often fell sick because of it. It was a problem when someone was so in tune with the world around them. But it must be more difficult to make a certain strength of aura. Vladimir naturally was attracted to auras so it probably made his body sicker to have an absence of them around him. He pitied his friend.

"While you are correct I was also referring to the lack of magickal creatures." Lukas spoke and brought their attention back to him. Arthur frowned. Had there really been a lack of magickal creatures? Recently he hadn't travelled into the forest because of how cold it was and because he was sure the garden was temporarily dead for the winter and buried in the snow. He started as he realized that he hadn't seen any magickal creatures around the school or even around town. Even his walks towards the Juice Bar had been lonely. He didn't see many around to begin with because the fae preferred to stay away from so many people but he still had friends who greeted him. He hadn't seen them at all in a long time. Had he really been so caught up in his personal life that he didn't notice the importance of this lack of creatures? Even in the winter there were still beings that walked around.

"Oh…Oh, no I haven't." He said guiltily. "But I realize now that you're right." He expected a reprimanding look but Lukas didn't give him one. Instead he moved on.

"I have been in the forest every chance I have received." He informed the club. "My dryad friend has been the only one to talk to me but she won't tell me what has been wrong. I'm still trying to coax it out of her but I do not believe she knows exactly either." He frowned. "Last night I…had a dream. It has led me to believe something has entered our town."

Fear caused every hair on Arthur's body to rise in horror. His first immediate thought was back to his friend. For days now he had been suspicious but that can't be possible! Arthur had been sure that it couldn't follow him across the pond! _But why not?_ He questioned himself. _It followed you everywhere else._ His body began to shake slightly. If the daemon was in fact here then that would mean Arthur would need to find it and vanquish it. Was he even strong enough? He wasn't sure but he was certainly stronger than the last time he had confronted the bastard creature. But surely it has also been growing in strength. Arthur shuddered. If it had managed to find him this fast…_The nightmares, though. They started a while back. Was it possible it has been here since then? Does that mean it _was_ the daemon's fault that Toris died? But no, I would have another scar wouldn't I? _His mind flew in a hurricane as he tried to connect the dots. He felt like he couldn't breathe. He didn't even notice how badly his body was beginning to shake before Vladimir screamed,

"ARTHUR!" Hands gripped the Briton's shoulders and he looked up with wide eyes. Vladimir and Lukas were in front of him with looks of concern. Vladimir grabbed Arthur's face gently between his hands. "Arthur, your aura's colours…Calm down! You're having a fit!"

Arthur took a deep and shuddering breath. Lukas looked him over with suspicious eyes. "You know something." He stated.

Arthur looked away from his eyes. He couldn't handle them. "Yes…there are things I have not told you two and truthfully you would be the only ones to understand. But I can't tell you." He turned back to them with a serious face.

"Arthur, if it has to do with the town and what is happening, then you need to tell us." Vladimir said his face grave now.

Arthur shook his head and stood. "I can't. It may not even be what I think it is." _I hope._ "But I need to handle it on my own." He turned and walked a few paces away before he paused. These were his friends and not random strangers. Thinking better of himself he called over his shoulder, "If…if by chance it _is_ my fault that this is happening…I'll tell you everything." He promised before he hurried away.

* * *

"Man, I'm so glad we can finally go to the movies together!" Alfred said as he held Arthur's hand and walked with him from the movie theater's parking lot towards the building. "I've been waiting all week cuz you've been too busy doing your own stuff! It sucks having a job!"

"I rather like having a job, thank you." Arthur sniffed and then covered his nose with his scarf. Alfred's hand was warm in his own and it made him smile. Arthur still didn't smile very much but recently once in a while it slipped out. For the first time in a very long time he was enjoying life. Maybe he just needed an Alfred in his life to give him a little push. That thought had him subconsciously moving closer to his boyfriend. If Alfred noticed, he didn't say anything.

"I know but it took this long already!" He continued to complain as they waited in the ticket line. He breathed hot air on his free hand before he stuffed it into his pocket.

"If you wanted to see the damn movie so badly, why didn't you go with someone else?" Arthur demanded. Alfred's complaining irked him.

"Because nobody wanted to go with me! Usually I bring Kiku but he insisted he didn't want to go and told me to bring you cuz you're my boyfriend now, y'know?"

Arthur looked up at Alfred, surprised. "You and Kiku dated before?"

"Ah, I never told you?" He grinned sheepishly and scratched his neck. "Yeah, we dated for a while back in junior year. For a while we were together, actually but things just kind of fell into a more friendship level thing so we just dropped the pretense that we were dating." He shrugged. Arthur looked away imagining Alfred here with Kiku in Arthur's position. In a way Arthur felt jealous of both sides. He quickly let the thought drop. Alfred –for once- seemed to pick up on the atmosphere. "You're not jealous, are you?"

"I'm not!" Arthur said loudly and looked away. He gritted his teeth and changed the subject quickly. "We shouldn't even be out this late. Don't students who live in the dorms have a curfew?" He knew for a fact that Allistier didn't care what Arthur did but Arthur was wondering if Alfred would be reported.

"Well it's actually more so that we aren't running around the hallways when people are trying to sleep." Alfred said and they walked over to buy their tickets. Alfred was bringing Arthur to some horror film that Arthur honestly hadn't been interested in. American horror films didn't scare him because he knew in the end the main character would act like some kind of dramatic hero. There weren't any twists. It was boring. Even all of the special effects were lost on him. He preferred a good mystery or romance to the shit that they showed in movie theaters. The two made their way into the theater. Arthur released Alfred's hand once inside. "Even so we'll probably need to sneak in. The movie isn't over until midnight." He grinned mischievously.

Arthur gave him a dry look. "Who said I'm spending the night with you? Matthew's there for one thing and for another you only have one bed that's open." He handed the man his ticket along with Alfred and the two entered. Alfred went to the snack line and Arthur went with him to finish their conversation. "I'll just go home after this."

"No, come on! We shared the couch together last time!"

"That's because you refused to move your arse!"

"The bed is bigger anyway!" Alfred ignored Arthur's input. Arthur rolled his eyes.

"I'm going to find seats." He announced and left Alfred to his own to walk towards theater 12. He took his time as he gazed at the posters for films that were supposed to come out soon. There was some kind of Valentine's Day Massacre type film coming out on the stated day. From the poster Arthur couldn't tell if the villain was a human or some type of monsters. There were teenagers apparently running from it and two people (clearly the hero couple) had their own little section. Arthur scoffed at the sight. It would probably be another ridiculous horror film that Alfred would want to see. Arthur moved on and entered the theater. There were a number of people in the theater but Arthur knew that more would be coming in soon. The flick didn't start for another fifteen minutes because Alfred wanted time to get there and buy his food. Arthur found a decent seat between the middle and the very back and sat down staring at the trailers. His mind quickly began to drift as he remembered his club meeting. Arthur and Lukas had spent a majority of it trying to help Vladimir out with his shield. Arthur, whenever it was Lukas's turn to help, had gone to researching in Lukas's books for protection spells that he had the supplies for. He hadn't had time to visit the other town to buy more herbs and candles which upset him. If by some unlucky turn of fate his "friend" was nearby, Arthur would need strong protection spells for his friends. He refused to let them die. He didn't know what he would do if his life was ruined. He'd rather die first than allow them to.

The thoughts brought him to the daemon itself. How would it have been possible for it to find him? Arthur had almost daily renewed his protection spells. Hell, his room was probably the safest magickally than the whole damn town. He doubted that he would be attacked but what of his friends? They were defenseless. He needed to go to the other town as soon as possible. He had the spell in mind but he needed to make the charms during the next full moon which was in a couple of days. He would have to take the truck and get in trouble with Allistier but this was most important. He closed his eyes and covered them with a trembling hand.

_What…do I do if it really is here?_ He thought.

"_**Then you fight back."**_ Jeanne surprised him by speaking to him. She sat in front of him on top of the chair. Her hair had grown slightly since he last saw her causing her boy-cut to turn into a rather cute short hairdo. She breathed onto her hands as if cold and amused Arthur knowing that she wasn't cold. She was wearing a long wool knitted dress that went to her knees and extended down her arms. A purple scarf was around her neck that matched her knitted hat. She still wore snow tights and brown boots. Arthur wondered if she had dressed for Arthur's date even though Alfred wouldn't even be able to sense her let alone see her.

Arthur took off his coat and scarf and placed them in the seat next to him. _"But how?"_ He asked her mentally.

"_**You're strong now, Arthur. You're stronger than you've ever been."**_ She smiled at him. _**"Come on, you're talking to the girl who was named after Joan of Arc. Surely you understand."**_ Arthur bit back a chuckle and smiled at her. His heart was relieved. She was right; he couldn't sit back and do nothing this time. He couldn't stay on the defensive forever. He needed to prepare for the possibility that he would need to destroy the daemon. He had been researching for years and maybe soon it would be time to put his skills into practice. Even non-believers of magick would not be able to deny Arthur had powers.

Arthur didn't remember much of the movie because a majority of the time Alfred was screaming in his ear and cowering against him. Apparently the boy was a coward when it came to horror movies. He finally understood exactly why Kiku never wanted to go to see horror movies with Alfred. While Alfred's crying face was rather adorable (it made Arthur want to hold him close and kiss his eyes) his screaming was very obnoxious. Arthur was literally Alfred's pillow to hide behind and cuddle against. The boy had tears in his eyes over a movie Arthur didn't find all that scary. The blood even looked fake to him. This was worse than _The Shining_, bloody hell. By the time it had ended Alfred was taking his glasses off and wiping his eyes while laughing. "W-Wow! That wasn't that sc-scary after all!" Arthur was fairly sure he was deaf in his left ear so he pretended he didn't hear Alfred after sending him a scathing glare. His head was pounding and his whole body ached (probably from Alfred grabbing him and shaking him vigorously). In all he was done for the night. He was ready to go home.

Alfred had other plans though as he drove straight past Arthur's house. "Wha-Alfred, my house is back there!"

"You're staying with me, remember?" He grinned at him but it was shaky. "I don't want you having nightmares because of the movie, hahaha!" Arthur stared at him hard.

"If I have nightmares it will certainly _not_ be because of the film." He huffed. Did Alfred really think him so weak as to have nightmares about a pathetic flick?

"Oh right, you have nightmares anyway. Well you can spend them with me." Alfred nodded as if confirming something Arthur had said. Arthur turned back to looking out of the window. If Alfred was scared then he should really just tell Arthur. It was fairly obvious anyway. It didn't even need to be voiced. Alfred didn't admit to anything as the two walked back to Alfred's room. The boy kept glancing nervously over his shoulder as Arthur led him along. He felt like it was Halloween all over again. They had to be silent considering how late at night it was. The darkness bore down on them but Alfred knew the way to his room. Apparently he was used to sneaking into the dorm rooms by this point. He unlocked the door and the two quietly slipped through. Alfred giggled a bit when he saw Matthew sleeping on the bed and attempted to go over to mess with him but Arthur pulled him back, exhausted.

"Let's just sleep, Alfred."

Alfred pouted. "Okay." He went to change his clothing while Arthur pulled off his coat, scarf, pants, and shoes. He shivered as he stood in only his turtleneck and a pair of boxers waiting for Alfred to bring him some sweatpants. He didn't want to crawl under the covers yet knowing that Alfred would forget if he did. When the boy came out dressed in his pyjamas he looked Arthur up and down appreciatively. Arthur scowled at him.

"Pants, please." He demanded more than asked. Alfred dug into his dresser and pulled out some pyjama pants that clashed completely with his top but he ignored the patriotic American flags for warmth and crawled into bed. Alfred crawled in after him curling up pressed between the wall and Arthur. It was certainly a tight squeeze as Alfred had to wrap his arms around Arthur's waist to keep him on the bed. Arthur contemplated lying on top of Alfred as Alfred had done him but found the thought to be too embarrassing. He closed his eyes with a silent sigh as he found a comfortable position. He really was becoming too spoiled by Alfred's presence. He was warm and his intoxicating aura always made Arthur's head swim pleasurably. How was it that Alfred could live exuding so much energy all of the time? Perhaps that would forever be a mystery to him.

Chapped lips suddenly found his and his eyes snapped open. Alfred's arms tightened around his waist pressing Arthur flush against the larger boy. Arthur gasped and pulled his head back. "A-Alfred, what are you doing? I'm trying to sleep." He whispered but his voice ended up breathier than it should've. Alfred gazed at him with half-lidded eyes that caused a shudder to run through Arthur's form.

"Sorry but I really wanted to kiss you." He hesitated for a moment that had Arthur licking his lips expectantly before they pressed back against each other in a heated kiss. Their lips moved together in a chaotic synchronization that had Arthur shivering with pleasure. His arms wrapped around Alfred's neck and gripped his hair as their kiss deepened and Alfred forced his way into Arthur's mouth. Arthur gasped as their tongues met to ravish each other. It was clear to Arthur Alfred had much more experience but the American was patient as he –in his own hurried way- taught Arthur how to kiss to make them both feel good. Slowly their bodies shifted to where Alfred was over Arthur but their hands never moved to explore. Silently there was a type of agreement between them that nothing would happen that night. The thought relaxed Arthur and their kissing slowed to transform in a slow and sensual commitment. Arthur pulled back first to pant against Alfred's lips but his eyes were still closed. Alfred's hot breath shivered against Arthur's lips. Arthur could taste the popcorn they had shared earlier along with the chocolate Alfred had eaten. He could sense the repressed desire in Alfred's large form and silently thanked him for holding back. The two of them waited for each other to make the next move. Arthur pecked Alfred's lips before he let his hands drop back to the bed and stared into Alfred's glasses-less eyes.

"We should stop." He whispered one hand coming up to stroke Alfred's cheek. His heart was thundering in his chest. The atmosphere was good. If Arthur was not a coward when it came to romance he doubted that he would be able to hold himself back from Alfred. His body desired to continue but his brain won over. He knew better than to go so far with someone he had barely dated. It just felt like every day to him would be his last in Alfred's arms. Violently he shoved that thinking away lest he tear up at the thought.

"I know." Alfred whispered back but his eyes said that he clearly wanted to continue. Their faces were still close to each other and the warmth of their bodies under the covers were coaxing them to continue. Alfred took a shuddering breath and kissed Arthur once more before he fell onto his side on the bed, releasing Arthur from the spell. Arthur took a deep breath as the chill in the air invaded his skin again. He shivered and covered a majority of his body with the blanket before looking over at Alfred. The boy was watching him and he smiled. "Monsters always go after the couple." He whispered conspiratorially. Arthur chuckled a bit.

"Maybe because their jealous?" He asked, snuggling into Alfred's warm form again.

"Probably. I don't think monsters get love." Arthur blushed, his mind denying that he was in love.

"We should sleep. We have school in the morning."

"Yeah." Alfred buried his nose into Arthur's hair and sighed gently as his form relaxed. Arthur closed his own eyes as he smiled and drifted to sleep.

Not moments later (but really it had been three hours) did he wake and open his eyes. He was in the same position as he had fallen asleep in but only his body felt as if it was freezing. He shuddered and tried to curl more against Alfred's warmth but it didn't seem strong enough. Alfred's body wasn't fighting off the chill in the air. Arthur looked to see if Alfred was alright. The boy was breathing softly and looked comfortable in his sleep. Arthur smiled and stroked the hair out of his face before he felt a presence nearby. Startled he turned his head sharply to look behind him. He almost expected to see a black form but found nobody there. Unnerved Arthur felt compelled to stand up. He slid a pillow between Alfred and his own form in order to not wake his boyfriend before he slipped out of the bed. His shivered and wrapped his arms around his self. He half-expected to see his breath in the air with how cold he was. He spotted Alfred's jacket on the edge of the bed and slipped it on. Feeling warmer in the thick and (shockingly heavy) jacket he explored the room with his hand out. Perhaps there were ghosts in the dorm rooms and he had been accidentally awakened by one? Moonlight streamed through the window providing a little bit of light as Arthur maneuvered around video game cases left on the floor and clothing. He managed to explore the whole room and found nothing. He frowned and stood in place as he contemplated what could've woken him. His body was still on high alert from whatever he had sensed. Something wasn't right and he couldn't fall asleep until he found out what.

His eyes drifted to the window and he hesitated before he peeked through the blinds. Alfred and Matthew's room faced the direction of the school. The moon was only about half full but then again Arthur knew the moon wasn't to be full until the thirteenth of February. The night was clear and the stars were visible. The sky comforted Arthur as he stared at the moon and silently greeted Mother. He became distracted by the skies as his body began to relax somewhat. A sharp pain caught his attention and he looked down at Jeanne. She wanted his attention so he pulled her off from his neck and held her so that she dangled and would be able to move.

"_**Arthur, over there!"**_ She cried and her pendulum swung off to the side. Arthur, alarmed, leaned closer to the window and looked out it. In the light of the moonlight he gazed at the school where Jeanne was swinging wildly at. He squinted and scanned trying to see what alarmed her and then saw it. There were three people standing on the roof of the school. He stared with wide eyes trying to comprehend who they could be. _**"Go to them!"**_

"What?" Arthur hissed quietly. "Are you insane? I'm not going over there!"

"_**They need your help!"**_ Jeanne insisted.

"Who are they?" He demanded. He sensed that she didn't know. He fought against himself not wanting to go but knew Jeanne had never steered him wrong. She seemed a bit eccentric at times but he knew that she was brilliant. He groaned silently and ran for his boots already wearing his socks and pulled them on before running out of the room. The school was at least a couple minutes' run away but Arthur ran it anyway. He was glad for all of those days he had spent running in childhood. He had built up quite some stamina. Even so the cold burned his throat and lungs. He felt like there wasn't any saliva left in his mouth as he reached the building where he had seen the figures standing. _How the fuck am I suppose to get up there?_ He thought wildly and looked around. He ran around to the other side of the building and saw a door that only janitors were allowed to enter. The door was cracked open. Inside he saw a pair of stairs. Arthur cursed his luck and ran inside hoping for the best. It didn't lead to the top but he soon found a ladder that was positioned to go onto the roof. He panted to catch his breath and closed his eyes. "FUCK!" He growled under his breath and climbed the ladder fearing the worst at the top.

The wind was still which was a relief as he steadied himself on the sloping roof. He looked around and spotted two of the figures near the edge. Arthur carefully made his way across the roof, wary as to what these things were. To his growing horror he recognized the figures. Feliks stood at the very edge of the roof with a rope around his neck and tied to some point below the roof. Ivan stood near him on guard with his arms raised in a placating manner and his eyes wide. Feliks was carrying metal pipe in his hands and seemed to be fending Ivan off with it. Arthur covered his mouth and hoped that he was imagining things.

Feliks cried, "Get back, Ivan! I'll, like, tear you a new one!" A crazed look took over the boy's tired face. His usually perfect hair was a mess and his clothes were too large for him. He didn't even look like he was wearing his own clothing. Arthur's eyes looked back and forth between them as he tried to figure out what was happening. Who was the one who needed saving in this situation?

"What are you doing!" Arthur yelled and caught both of their attentions. Feliks's eyes widened at seeing another person. Ivan looked relieved.

"Arthur! Come help me!" Arthur didn't move any closer.

"What's happening?" He demanded.

"Go away! Both of you leave me alone!" Feliks screamed at Arthur. Arthur understood the look in the boy's eyes. He wasn't in his right mind. He didn't care what was happening anymore. Feliks appeared to be in present danger. He looked to be trying to kill himself. He quickly approached right as Ivan made a move to grab the Polish boy. Feliks yelled and swung the pipe, nearly catching Ivan's head. The Russian jumped back in time, surprisingly agile for his size, and stepped next to Arthur. He looked terrified, his eyes scanning around them for some way to help.

"Feliks," Arthur said carefully in a coaxing voice, "come away from the edge. Why are you doing this?"

"Shut up! You know, like, nothing! Toris is dead!" The boy cried, tears forming and flowing down his face. "He killed himself and it's all my fault!"

"No, it's not. It was a murder." Arthur said. Ivan looked at him sharply with wide eyes. Arthur bit back a wince. Not many people actually knew the truth. "He was attacked by a monster. Feliks, he didn't kill himself."

"Yes he did!" Feliks screamed. "He told me so himself! He told me it was my fault!" Arthur's head spun. No, he knew that Toris would never do that.

"Toris would not say something like that." Ivan insisted. "I knew him as well. He was a kind person!"

"Shut up! You knew nothing about him!" Feliks glared at Ivan with watery eyes. "All you ever did was bully him!"

Ivan flinched. "I…!"

"That doesn't matter." Arthur said and inched forward. He just needed to yank Feliks away from the roof. As long as he did that and was careful about the rope, he was sure he could pin him. If not he knew he had Ivan who could probably rip that rope from around the Polish boy's neck with his bare hands. His body was cold with not even Alfred's jacket warming him. Ivan's aura felt warmer than how Arthur felt at the moment. He was sure that it was something he should be concentrating on because surely it wasn't _that_ cold out but his attention was solely on this boy in front of him. He wouldn't allow another person to die if he could stop it. "Feliks, we all know Toris was your best friend. Would he really want you to do this?" Arthur gazed desperately at him.

"It's my fault! Of course he does!" Feliks turned to him.

"So what if it was your fault!" Arthur yelled back and Feliks stared at him. "Even if this lie you say is true, would Toris really want you to kill yourself over it? Is that _really_ what he would want?"

"I…" Feliks blinked and for once his manic eyes seemed to clear a bit. Despite looking tired sense seemed to be coming back to him. Arthur knew to strike.

"Isn't suffering with life a much suited punishment than killing yourself? Death is so easy; only the living suffer." Arthur felt tears in his own eyes.

"What are you saying?" Ivan hissed at him. "Are you trying to kill him?"

Arthur glared at him. "He can get counseling to help him!" He bit back under his breath so that Feliks wouldn't hear. The Polish boy still looked confused. Arthur turned back to the suicidal child. "Please, Feliks. I've seen so many people die in front of me; I don't want another one." He said with a thick voice.

Feliks stared at him with his tear-filled eyes before he sobbed. "Why?" He cried relentlessly. "Why Toris? I loved him! He was my best friend!"

"I…loved him too." Ivan said quietly. He had his own tears in his eyes. Arthur was already crying a little. Ivan moved slowly closer to him as Feliks looked him. "I know how you feel. I blame myself for his death too. But Arthur is right. Toris would not do this to himself. He would not want you to die. Please, live."

Feliks nodded and dropped the pipe. Arthur let out a sigh of relief as the boy reached for the rope around his neck. Arthur moved towards him when a sudden gush of wind blew. It happened almost as if in slow motion as the Polish boy's body was shoved backwards as if pushed and he toppled over the edge. "NO!" Arthur and Ivan screamed and jumped to grab him but at the last second each needed to jerk to a stop so as to not fall over themselves. "FELIKS!" Ivan screamed and grabbed the rope. He and Arthur yanked at it to try to pull him up but even with Ivan's strength it felt like there was so much more weight added to Feliks. The boy dangled while struggling, trying to get the rope from around his neck. Arthur screamed with frustrated and dismayed tears runnning from his face. They couldn't stop. With a final yank finally Feliks's body moved and Ivan and Arthur scrambled to pull him back onto the roof. Feliks didn't move any longer. Arthur and Ivan stared at the body, unable to move themselves. Ivan reached a shaking hand forward but they both knew that the windpipe was probably crushed. Feliks was gone. And Arthur was bleeding.

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**A/N: The song is Clock Lock Works sung by Miku Hatsune**

**REVIEW AND I UPDATE FASTER (seriously)**


	16. Art Note

**I'm sorry to post this considering it's not an update but I just wanted to let you all know that I posted some doodles that I drew from the story on my tumblr tsukithewolf. tumblr so you may see it at any time. There IS a bit of a spoiler warning though that will probably give you a hint (hahahafunnya"hint") at what may come later on. Please take a look.**

**I will make up for the false hope that this is a chapter by updating tomorrow (or at least Wednesday). *bows***


	17. In the Depth of Darkness

**A/N: See? I told you that I would update to make up for the false hope! Really, you fans should trust me more. *nods* Aren't I such a nice writer?**

**I wonder how many of you actually listen to the songs. My friends and I have a tough time picking the perfect ones. XD They provide insight to Arthur's character that I may not even address in the story. **

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**Chapter 15: In the Depth of Darkness**

The next couple of days passed with Arthur and Ivan in and out of the police station. For a majority of the questioning and commands Arthur felt as if his body was in shock. He had been in shock before many times over the years but this was the first time that he felt completely numb. He didn't feel anything at the death of Feliks. The image of the boy being thrown off of the building by some force replayed over and over in his mind. He wondered if there was truly anything he could've possibly done to save the Polish boy. His body felt cold and it constantly trembled as if it actually was cold despite him being in warm buildings. He didn't see anybody he knew besides Ivan as the two were temporarily arrested for suspicion of murder. The police weren't taking any chances with two deaths of students happening so close to one another.

Arthur lifted his head to gaze across the room to where Ivan was. The larger boy stared back at him with vacant eyes as his mind saw things far away. How did Ivan feel about all of this? Was this the first time he had ever experienced death right in front of him? Arthur pitied the Russian almost to the point he wanted to cry. He wanted to cry for Ivan but too many times this had happened to Arthur. How would his parents feel…_Oh wait, that's right. They're not involved any longer._ He remembered with a blink. Allistier would be angry with him. His family always had to cover up for Arthur. Would previous records of police reports from the United Kingdom be available here? Would he be sent back to his own country? He didn't want to leave.

_Why didn't I just stay with Alfred?_ Arthur thought and looked back down at the floor. It had been so nice to be held in his boyfriend's arms and absorb the warmth of his large body. He could still remember their lips pressed against each other. He almost shivered. He clenched his hands together and winced, feeling in pain but he ignored it. He wanted to leave. Within three days Ivan and Arthur were released to the hordes of media wanting words with them. It was a literally worldwide horror that two students had committed suicide within the school. It was unheard of. Arthur didn't hear much but he highly suspected that the countries of the world wanted their students back. Word spread that Ivan and Arthur were involved but neither boy said anything to anybody as they approached their respective guardians. Allistier's face was expressionless –probably far too used to this- as Katyusha cried out and rushed her younger, taller brother and held him close.

"Oh Ivan!" She sobbed and began to speak rapid-fire Russian to him. Arthur turned his attention to his elder brother and glanced into his eyes. Arthur avoided them after a moment unable to bring himself to gaze into those calculating eyes. His brother was angry with him, Arthur was sure. Weak tears unwillingly sprang to his eyes –the first ones to appear since Feliks's death- and he bit his lip hard to stop them. These were not tears of sorrow but instead shame. Once again he had watched another person die in front of him. Why wouldn't the deaths stop? Even now he couldn't convince himself that all of this was an accident. The night had been still on top of that roof and a gust strong enough to propel Feliks off the roof like that should've knocked Ivan and Arthur off of their feet as well. The tears finally escaped and rolled mercilessly down his cheeks as he sat in the truck with Allistier.

A long silence continued to stretch between them as Arthur fruitlessly worked to stop his tears. He furiously wiped his eyes and swallowed back sobs. He couldn't keep crying. "Arthur." Arthur flinched harshly as if hit even if his brother's tone was stoic and strong. His hands balled into fists and he continued to look out of the window. "What happened up there?" He commanded.

"What do you think?" Arthur bit out angrily as his sorrow and fear causing him to become defensively angry. "I watched another fucking person die!"

"You know what I mean!" Allistier yelled back at him and he slammed to a stop on the side of the road. Arthur's eyes widened as his collar was grabbed and he was forced to look into his elder brother's eyes. His past came back to him and instinctively he shrunk down sure that he was going to get hit. He wanted to fight back but he knew if he was hit then he deserved it. He had failed again. This was his retribution. He _wanted_ someone to hit him. He wanted to feel the pain. Instead he was held violently by the chin by Allistier and faced with the wrath of an angry sibling. "Who was it? Did you run into that fucking _thing_?"

Arthur screeched biting his tongue before ripping his face away. "I DON'T KNOW!" He yelled and grabbed his own elbows. "He had the rope around his neck already and he wasn't in his right mind! We had managed to convince him not to do it when he fell!" He hunched over. "We tried to bring him back up but he was so heavy and we didn't…we didn't make it…!" He began to sob. He wanted to scream as his body wracked with emotional pain. Was all of this really karma for what he did in the past? Was it really worth it? No, of course it wasn't. His mistake wasn't worth so many peoples' deaths. He wished that he could rewind time and end it all like he had originally planned but it was far too late for that. He had a debt to repay that he was running away from and this killing wouldn't end until he did. But for once he didn't want to die. He finally had found everything that even in his wildest and happiest dreams he couldn't imagine. He had friends and people he trusted. He had a lover. This was America: the land of opportunity, right? Where was his fresh start?

"_**You need to earn it."**_ Arthur heard a soft voice coax him as the truck started driving again. It sped off towards the house. He felt Jeanne's warm embrace touch his skin and spread through his body. _**"We've known for a long time that you can't just pretend that everything never happened. It was going to find you someday."**_

_But it's too soon…_ Arthur cried. _How did it find me so soon?_

"_**Does that really matter right now?"**_ The truck jerked to a stop inside of the garage and Allistier jumped out. He made his way to Arthur side and yanked the door open, barring the way. Arthur stared at him, quickly dropping his conversation with Jeanne. Allistier gazed at him as if contemplating something before he dug into his pocket and grabbed Arthur's hand. Arthur's immediate reaction was to try to jerk it back but the Scotsman's grip was too strong. A key was slammed into Arthur's hand before Allistier dropped it and went inside. Arthur stared at his hand in a minor state of shock. It was a small key –smaller than the truck's key- but he knew what it was for. Allistier had just handed over the motorcycle to his younger brother. He had always been banned from the machine (even though Arthur had always wanted to drive it). _Why now?_ He wondered and simply left the truck to go inside of the house. His brother was nowhere to be found but Arthur had the feeling that he needed to stay away for a while. His parents would probably be updated on Arthur's latest "blunder". The thought scorched his chest and caused him to dash into his room. The familiar scent of sage comforted him and enticed him to lie on his bed. His tears came to a stop as his face hit his pillow. He took a deep breath.

What was he to do now? His daemon had probably found him but what could he do? All of his life he had been running. Whenever someone near them died his parents had packed them up and they moved. Sometimes Arthur was thrown into some relative's house so that the whole family wouldn't have to move but that never lasted long. How many houses had he lived in? How many times did they run in a desperate attempt to hide from the past? There were far too many for Arthur's stricken mind to count. This was the last time, though. He couldn't keep running. Allistier had a job here and a house that he would be none-too-happy to leave. Arthur had a life here as well. They wouldn't be able to move. Arthur was quite literally backed into a corner now dubbed Cultural Heights and unfortunately those caught within the path were in danger. He closed his eyes and his vision he had seen in his classroom of his friends in various states of death caused him to gasp and jerk up violently.

No, he couldn't run anymore. He had bonds he needed to protect. He had people he loved here. As terrified as he was, Arthur needed to do something. He wasn't weak anymore. He'd had years to practice until this time and now he needed to use it. Hope spread through his chest. No matter how scary this daemon was and no matter what form of horror it took he would defeat it. If worse came to worse Arthur had a flawless plan that he could fall back on –but he would rather use that as a last resort. He had too many things to live for to commit such an act.

He stood up quickly and realized what it was that he needed to do and dashed out of the house to the motorcycle. He needed to gather supplies. The full moon was not too long from now.

* * *

The first day Arthur was back at school had people giving him a mixture of reactions to his presence. Half of the students avoided him as if he was the very plague himself (funny) and the other half kept approaching him with questions. On both accounts he ignored them instead favouring the idea of glancing around for familiar faces. Where were his friends at? Where was Alfred? Hell, where was Ivan? They weren't where they usually hung out in the morning. Worried he made his way around the school until they found him.

"Arthur!" A forced tackled him from behind and he yelped before stumbling.

"Feliciano, really!" He cried and managed his balance as the Italian got off of him. The brown eyes of the boy were hidden as they were closed with tears. He hugged Arthur close as Arthur saw his other friends not too far down the hallway. Already some were climbing to their feet to join them. Ivan was nowhere to be found.

"Arthur, are you alright?" Feliciano looked honestly worried as he gently held Arthur's face and opened his eyes to gaze at him. Arthur's face pinked a bit at how close the other boy's face was and he looked away. His heart trembled with happiness as a relief he didn't know of washed over him. He had been sure they would've immediately asked about what had happened just as everyone else had.

"Yes…as fine as one can be." He admitted. Vladimir was giving him a stoic stare that caused Arthur to shiver. He would need to deal with the boy later. Instead he broke his hug with Feliciano and slowly walked with his friends back to the rest of the group. Vash was sitting near Lili protectively as Gilbert and Matthew discussed something with Ludwig. Alfred didn't even allow Arthur to make it back to everyone else before he yanked him into a hug. Arthur's air rushed out of his body as he was crushed to Alfred's larger form.

"You asshole!" Alfred yelled and pulled back enough so that Arthur could look into his face. "Why did you leave that night?"

_I ask myself that every night._ Arthur thought could only give a soft shrug helplessly. "I'm sorry, Alfred. I saw them on the roof and…I wanted to help."

"Then why didn't you wake me too?!" He continued to get angry. "I'm a hero! If you ever need help all you need to do is call me!" Arthur couldn't help the soft smile threatening his face. He placed a hand gently to Alfred's cheek –seemingly surprising the boy- and stroked it.

"I'll remember that next time." He promised gently before he pulled away from his boyfriend. He sat with his friends and mentally begged that they would change the subject. He didn't want to keep repeating his experience but his wish was once again ignored. They tore into him about details until Arthur felt that this day was already a bust. He wanted to go back home and sleep. He had much more productive things to do than listen to them talk about his failure. He closed his eyes and rubbed them. Not even Ivan's pills were helping him anymore. He was having nightmares again but at least now he knew why. He was sure that without his protective earring (his hand subconsciously rubbed the dragon) that the daemon would've attacked him long ago. The deaths would've been literally by his hands if that was so.

Lunch was relatively normal with everyone just trying to get normal conversation back. They had come to the consensus that Feliks just couldn't handle his friend's death. Arthur never once told them that he had chosen to live and had been killed for his choice. It was easier for them to believe that he –like Toris- had decided to end his life. Arthur silently apologized to Feliks (not for the first time) and finished his food. Alfred's presence next to him cleared his mind, which he was thankful for. His inner self trembled as he silently moved closer to the American needing the comfort that only he could provide. Selfishly he wanted the two of them to be alone with Alfred holding him and whispering sweet words into his ears. It was in situations like those that Arthur truly forgot about everything bad within his life. He wanted to go back to those innocent times but those times were past.

He stood up to go throw away his leftovers before he softly touched Vladimir's shoulder. The boy's cinnamon eyes met his before he also stood understanding that Arthur was ready to talk. They moved to go gather Lukas as well when a hand found Arthur's and held him back. He glanced in surprise to see Alfred looking at him with a serious face. His eyebrows were pushed together with a worried frown that didn't belong there accompanying them. "Where are you going?" He asked. His aura spun up his arm and wrapped around Arthur's as if imploring him to stay. Arthur shivered at the feeling wanting to follow through on it.

"I need to go to a quick club meeting, Alfred." Arthur said and gently removed his hand from Alfred's grip.

Alfred stared at him hard before he said softly, "Sometimes I feel like you don't trust me at all." Arthur frowned not understanding. He would've questioned the American on it but Vladimir showed up with Lukas in tow and Arthur knew that he needed to leave. He gave Alfred a sad smile before he walked away with his head in a flurry of different thoughts. What had Alfred meant by that? Arthur did trust Alfred! What was he going to tell Lukas and Vladimir? Could he really tell them the truth? Why had Alfred said that Arthur didn't trust him? Did Arthur have all of his ingredients together? He needed to make the charms quickly and allow them to sit in the moonlight. The moon wouldn't be full until the thirteenth, though. He had time but- god, _why did Alfred say that?_

"Arthur," Arthur started out of his thoughts as Vladimir called him and he realized that already they were in the club room. He inhaled the exotic spices of the different incenses they had used almost daily. His body relaxed. This was a safe place protected from its own dangers. Vladimir looked at him as Lukas moved to light up a couple of candles. The room was dark with the black-out curtains hung. The only light provided were those of the candles. Lukas was the first to move to the middle of the room and sat down followed by the other two club members. Instinctively they sat in a perfect triangle that amused Arthur. They were far too used to each other. Finally Lukas looked at Arthur as an almost go-ahead signal. Arthur's heart trembled in terror. How would these two react? Of course they would scorn him for daring to summon such a monster when he was younger. Would they leave him? Would they kill him? He wondered if they even knew that killing him off would not do anything but anger the daemon.

He took a breath. "The deaths that have happened around us recently are of my own fault." He started off. He waited for a reaction but neither boy spoke and continued to watch him waiting for him to continue. Arthur was surprised that they didn't even flinch or question him. Did they suspect him from the beginning? "However…they did not die by my hands. This is the work of…something I summoned a very long time ago."

"What did you summon?" Lukas demanded as if he had been waiting for the opening. Arthur had no doubt that he had been.

"A daemon." The slightly horrified looks on their faces had Arthur lowering his head in shame. Memories of the same horrified and disappointed look on his grandmother's face burned him. "I-It was when I was young and foolish. I didn't know what I was getting into. I didn't think I'd be able to summon something so powerful but…"

"Why didn't you tell us immediately?" Lukas glared at him.

"Because I was praying that it didn't follow me here. I thought I had more time." _Besides,_ Arthur added mentally, _I didn't want to lose my friends before I even had them._ He took a breath to calm himself and looked both of them in the eyes. "It is a creature that can change its shape at will. Usually it takes on the form you fear most. It's powerful."

Lukas looked away with a frown on his face. Vladimir glanced at him before turning back to Arthur. "What do you plan on doing about it?" Arthur stared at him. Arthur didn't know what he had planned to deal with it. As far as he was concerned right now he just wanted to make sure his friends were safe. He couldn't allow them to become influenced or possessed by the daemon. He was making charms to prevent that but there was a time gap between the time that they would be done and when they could be charged and ready. He told all of this to them. Vladimir nodded, liking the choice of charm Arthur had decided to use. "How many did you plan on making? Should we make our own?"

Arthur shook his head. "Let me do it. While it is more attracted to my energy, my energy will also be the most powerful to protect you. The beast both relies on me and endangers me."

"How do you know this is the daemon's fault?" Lukas asked, looking at Arthur for the first time in a good five minutes. His light purple-blue eyes were darker in the lack of light. The reflection of the flames across his face made him look angry than Arthur hoped he actually was. He was sure Lukas understood that becoming angry in this critical time would be a horrid decision. They had larger things to settle.

Arthur stood then and removed the upper portion of his clothing. All of the scars that littered his chest seemed enflamed but it was possible that it was the lighting. A large bandage covered a portion of skin on Arthur's shoulder. It throbbed angrily. The bandage was still bloody signifying that he was still bleeding. The wound wouldn't seal up anytime soon. "Because every time someone dies and it's the daemon's fault, I'm punished for it." The other two club members stared solemnly at Arthur's form, their eyes scanning his torso. For the first time Arthur didn't feel self-conscious about his scars.

"There is only one fresh one." Vladimir pointed out. Arthur kneeled back into his position again, leaving the clothing discarded.

"I suspect it is because I was not there to see Toris die." Arthur closed his eyes remembering the death his dreams had provided for Toris. He quickly opened them. "But from the account that I received from poor Toris himself, I suspect the truth."

"We'll take your word for it." Lukas stood up. The lunch bell would be ringing soon. The other two stood as well. Arthur began to put his clothes back on. "Arthur, we shall also prepare for a possible fight. I will entrust you with the protection charms. How do you plan on finding and capturing the daemon?"

Arthur gritted his teeth. "I don't know. It usually finds me. I've never tried to fight it before." He admitted shamefully. "But I plan on putting up a barrier to keep it trapped. I haven't…decided where yet." He had an inkling of an idea of where, though. He needed a place he was familiar with but wouldn't have people around nearby.

Lukas nodded and proceeded to start blowing out the candles. Vladimir turned to Arthur. His eyes glowed as if luminescent. "Arthur, I worry for our friends. I understand now why I have been so sick. I will keep an eye out for anything out of place but…" his eyes turned serious, "I do not wish for our friends to die."

"I don't want such a thing either." Arthur whispered.

"Their blood is on your hands if anything occurs." Vladimir promised darkly before he and Lukas left the room with a resounding thud. Arthur stood watching where they had left feeling heavy. He should feel upset that such words were spoken unto him but he couldn't deny the truth. At least he had friends with which to share his worries.

* * *

Ivan didn't come back to school until much later on the fifth of February. The boy seemed to be back to his normal self but Arthur could feel that something had shifted within Ivan. He bore half of the guilt of Feliks's death just as Arthur bore the other half. Such a thought would weigh down anybody. Arthur wanted to tell Ivan that everything would be alright and that he didn't have to worry anymore but he couldn't in all honesty say it. Feliks would surely not be the last death. As horrifying as the thought was, Arthur didn't know how else to lead the daemon out from its hiding without it killing another person. And he was sure that it would happen in front of Arthur. It was all a matter of who and where and when. Arthur needed to be ready at anytime.

Natalia had started hanging around with Ivan which meant she hung around the rest of the group. For once Ivan didn't mind that she was clinging to him. She looked distract with sorrow filling her eyes. Her beautiful features were dark as she clung to Ivan whenever she was with him. Ivan was often seen quietly talking to her. At lunch one time Arthur caught her crying with her brother softly speaking to her with sad eyes and so decided to lead everyone else around them into a different topic so that they wouldn't bother the siblings. Ivan caught this and sent him a half-thankful look before continuing with his sister. Arthur wanted to apologize repeatedly to Natalia and Ivan feeling as if he had personally harmed them. She was torn up about Toris still, he discovered. She had loved Toris too but never told him that she had reciprocated his feelings because of knowing Ivan also cared for the Lithuanian. The guilty knife within Arthur's chest only twisted more.

"Hey, how about we all go out to the amusement park?" Elizaveta suggested one day after school before everyone could go their separate ways. Everyone looked at her with ranging surprise and confusion.

"Why?" Vash demanded.

"I know it's not appropriate but I believe we all need a break from everything."

"She's right." Gilbert spoke up for his friend. "We should go. Does anybody have any plans?" Arthur glanced at the others who were also giving sidelong glances to each other. Nobody rejected the idea. Gilbert nodded. "Then let's go. We'll carpool with each other." And just like that it was decided. Feliciano was the first to run as he laughed cheerfully because finally the heavy atmosphere that even he couldn't deny was being lifted. Alfred laughed and ran after him next followed by the girls and Gilbert. Vash began to jog after to keep watch and worried as Gilbert grabbed Lili's hand with a grin. Arthur, Vladimir, Ivan, Natalia, Kiku, and Ludwig (who sighed at his boyfriend's and brother's antics) were left to walk calmly. Arthur was thankful that he didn't have to work that day. It wasn't often that he got to go out with everyone. He doubted that he would be able to soon.

The amusement park was rather small by Arthur's usual standards of parks. The ferris wheel was nothing in comparison to the Eye and the roller coasters were limited. Colours of red and pink were hanging from different food stalls to inform the visitors of Valentine's Day that was quickly approaching. Little children rides as well as spinning swings appeared to be the main attraction but as he was led farther back into the park Arthur realized that most of the teenager-related rides were located in the back. It was only natural that an amusement park that was built in a town that focused on the high school would have rides appropriate to high schoolers. Needless to say despite all of Arthur's complaints and the chilly day he was sure to have fun. The naturally cheerful atmosphere was soon back within the group as they joked around and played. Even Ivan and Alfred soon started their usual competitions. They both spent fifteen dollars in a shoot-out range both winning prizes. Vash occasionally joined in too and won Lili a small bunny plush toy. Arthur watched as Alfred won a gigantic teddy bear and cheered at his victory.

"Nobody can beat me a shooting game!" Alfred bragged and pumped the bear up and down to show off. Arthur stared at the features of the bear that was practically his size. It was completely white and fluffy with bright blue eyes. It had a small bear smile sewn onto its snout and a red and pink ribbon around its neck forming a bow. Arthur could hardly see Alfred keeping such an adorable fluffy ridiculous thing. He would probably give the perfect thing to one of the girls. Arthur certainly didn't want the precious bear.

"I beat you once!" Ivan retorted.

"So did I!" Vash agreed.

"Nobody can beat me when they're real guns." Alfred stuck his tongue out but that seemed to rile the other boys up more. He ignored them as he caught Arthur staring. Arthur flushed and looked away quickly. The damage was done though as Alfred hurried over and held the bear out. "Hey, you want this? It's not really my kind of thing."

"Wha-What makes you think _I_ want it?" Arthur demanded despite the pounding in his chest. Damn his addiction to cute things.

"Cuz I won it for you!" Alfred shoved the bear into Arthur's arms and Arthur had no choice but to take it.

"Fine, I'll take it. But it's not because I like it! I just don't want it to get dirty in your room!"

"Hahaha, whatever!" Alfred laughed and moved over to join in on the argument Ivan and Vash were having. Arthur made sure he was turned around before he buried his face into the bear's fur and smiled at how soft it was. His eyes closed. He hardly ever received presents let alone ones he actually liked. He already had the perfect place for this bear in his room. He heard the sound of a camera snapping and he looked up quickly to see Kiku standing next to him with a perfect view of what Arthur had been doing. Arthur blushed furiously.

"D-Did you just take a picture?!" He cried.

"Of course not, Arthur-kun." Kiku said, looking up from his phone. "I was only checking my email."

"Let me see then!"

"I cannot do that. My email is my personal business."

"Kiku!" Arthur shrieked and Kiku smiled a bit before running off with Arthur running after him. In the end Arthur didn't catch the slippery boy and the subject was dropped as the group moved on to other parts of the park. The sun began to set and the temperature was dropping quickly. Snow fluttered to the ground and coated the park soon enough. Arthur looked up at the sky and saw his hot air puff as the group started to leave the park. They were heading to the parking lot and the group naturally split into two with some people walking slower than the others. Somewhere nearby Arthur heard the screech of a car. The roads were slippery. He would need to make sure that Alfred drove at a slower speed. Trees surrounded the parking lot and the roads nearby. To get to the parking lot they had to walk on the sidewalk. Alfred walked next to Arthur carrying the bear on his back as they walked close together. Arthur wanted to bury his nose once again into the fur of the bear but settled for the fur lining the collar of his own jacket.

Looking both ways they crossed the street with the girls as Ivan jogged ahead to go get his car. He seemed to mind the cold the least just like Gilbert. Alfred took his sweet time preferring to walk and huddle in on himself. "God, it's so cold!" Alfred bemoaned and shivered. He leaned against Arthur but Arthur shoved his weight a bit. It was indeed very cold. Arthur was shivering in his own coat. He wished that he was wearing Alfred's once again. Although it was heavy it was the perfect warmer. Alfred really must not be used to the cold to feel it even though his coat. Arthur empathized though.

"You'll be able to warm up in the car." Arthur promised and noticed as the person next to him stopped. He stopped as well which brought Alfred to a stop. Natalia was staring across the road lost in her thoughts. Arthur frowned and huddled in on himself, gripping his arms. His body was wracked with tremors. The cold was affecting his senses. He felt unnerved and uncomfortable all of the sudden staring at her. "Natalia?" He called and Alfred looked back at her too.

"Hey Natalia, let's go! It's cold! The others are already near the car!" Alfred said and gently shook her shoulder.

"Toris…?" She murmured, still staring across the street. Arthur frowned with Alfred.

"Toris?" The American asked and looked where she was. There was nobody there.

"Toris!" Natalia called to nobody and looked back at Alfred. "Do you not see him?"

"Natalia," Arthur had a cold feeling in his gut, "there's nobody there." Alfred whispered and tried to lead her from the road when she shoved him back.

"He is there, you ball-sucker!" She yelled at him, angry. "He is right there!" She pointed but there was nobody there. Arthur stared at her. Was she delusional? Had Toris's death made her hallucinate? Was this why Ivan kept her nearby? Another car could be heard screeching. The girl tried to step out into the street but Alfred yanked her back.

"Natalia, there's nobody there! Toris is dead!" Arthur could see the worry flaring up in his boyfriend. He was scared for his friend. Natalia shoved him harder, causing Alfred to stumble backwards a couple of steps and drop the bear. It fell into a muddy puddle. Arthur couldn't bring himself to care.

"He's not dead!" She shrieked and turned to dash across the street as a car approached. Arthur heard its breaks squeal as it was applied but Arthur saw how its tail end began to swing around. To his horror he realized quickly that it had hit some black ice. It couldn't stop.

"NATALIA!" Arthur screamed and he and Alfred made a move at the same time. The girl was right in the middle of the path. Alfred was faster and reached to grab her hand and push her out of harm's path but Arthur saw what the boy didn't see. If Alfred grabbed her then Alfred would put himself in death's path. His fear instantly shifted to Alfred. He couldn't let Alfred die. He needed him. His hand jolted forward on its own and grabbed onto Alfred and yanked him hard backwards, falling down with him just out of harm's way as the car slammed into Natalia with a crunch Arthur would remember for the rest of his life. Suddenly he could hear nothing but his own screaming, crying out for the girl. Alfred lay paralyzed next to him at the scene. Blood had splattered the two of them. The girl had been dragged a couple feet down the street by the car that soon crashed into a tree with a sickening twist of its metal. Natalia lay on the ground with her school uniform soaked with her own blood. Her blonde hair was much darker in the lack of light.

Arthur's voice turned raw as he sobbed and soon he heard a new scream. He didn't need to look to recognize the sound of pure agony in Natalia's brother's voice. He couldn't move. Alfred beside him hadn't either. He felt hands and numbly heard questions asked of him but he couldn't do anything but sob. He had chosen another person's life over another. He had save Alfred's life in exchange for Natalia's. His selfishness had caused his friends pain once again. But Arthur couldn't lose Alfred. Arthur was sure his heart wouldn't be able to handle it if someone so buried deep in Arthur's heart was ripped from it. He would be forever broken. Because of this selfishness, Natalia had to die. He screamed out as what felt like claws slashed across his back. Instantly he knew what it was but it was all too much. He fainted.

* * *

Ivan didn't come to school. The Juice Bar was temporarily closed. Arthur couldn't find the nerve to give his condolences to the grieving family. He had killed their sister. He couldn't simply apologize for something like that. He wanted to say something but he couldn't find the words. At school he didn't speak. Vladimir sat beside him and Lukas chose to start sitting at their lunch table in favour of sitting with his boyfriend like he usually did. The three of them instinctively knew that they needed to stay together. Their presence together would be able to protect their friends. Arthur's charms were prepared –now he just needed to charge them in the full moon. On the fourteenth he would give everyone their charms to wear. They were as powerful as he could make them. He had even used his own stones (who had volunteered). They were at a standstill now. They had no choice but to play the waiting game. Like always Arthur was on the defensive again.

At first Alfred had been in a state of shock but he quickly pushed past it. The horror in his eyes lingered but he tried desperately along with everyone else to maintain a sense of normalcy. He didn't mention Arthur pulling him back from Natalia. He didn't bring up her death again. Nobody did. Many of the group blamed themselves in one shape or form. The only time Alfred mentioned Natalia was to say, "She was so disenchanted from life after Toris's death that she…made her own world." Arthur wanted to cry. How could he possibly explain to Alfred that the truth was she had been in a weakened state that the daemon had taken advantage of. He had seen it in the girl's eyes and shadow. But he didn't say anything. It was better that way. The least that his friends knew, the more likely they were to survive.

A chill went down Arthur's spine at lunch that had his head shooting up. What was this terrible feeling? No, what was he even thinking? Of course he knew. He needed to pursue it. This may be his chance. He couldn't even consider the thought that he was going to his death. He knew that the daemon was nearby and from the looks on Lukas's and Vladimir's faces they could sense something was wrong too. "No." Arthur told them lowly and glanced at the others. He couldn't risk them following him. The group seemed more close-knit in the wake of all of the death around them. People were retreating into their own groups like animals shrinking away from possible enemies. It didn't matter if the deaths were supposedly "suicides" and an "accident". The fact of the matter was that people close to them were dying. Animals naturally kept close to familiar faces when such horrors happen. "I will go. It can't touch me." He promised them.

"Arthur-" Arthur ignored Vladimir and hurried out into the empty courtyard. He knew that it was nearby. Righteous anger flared up in him. For whatever reason he wasn't scared anymore. The daemon had pushed him past a point that Arthur didn't even know he'd had. He was furious.

"COME OUT!" He screamed he looked around. "COME TO ME, YOU BASTARD!" He clapped his hands recalling some folklore he'd once read. Daemons came to the clapping of their "master's" hands. "COME HERE!" He yelled again and suddenly an icy cold electric current shot up his back. He gasped and arched at the feeling. It was almost like fingers were touching him. He spun around and his eyes widened at the sight in front of him. Alfred stood in front of him with the giddiest smile on his face. His eyes were closed from grinning so hard. "Al…Alfred?" He trembled. No, Alfred couldn't be the daemon. He'd been around the boy too much. His aura was warm and comfortable. Alfred wouldn't have been able to touch him if he had been a daemon. Was he possessed, then? No, Lukas and Vladimir wouldn't have allowed it. They would've done something. On top of that, Alfred didn't even notice him leave. He couldn't have caught up so fast.

The Alfred in front of him opened his eyes then and Arthur reeled back in horror. Alfred's beautiful blue eyes gazed at him but the sclera was black as the darkest depths. It made the crystals called irises appear to be floating in nothingness. It made Arthur want to puke. These were not Alfred's eyes no matter how similar they looked. The boy in front of him held no natural aura (but he certainly had a chilling presence) so Alfred wasn't possessed. The daemon had just taken on his form. Arthur stood stiffly and glared at him. "Why are you in that form? Aren't you supposed to take the one that scares me most?" _Though, really, your very presence…_ It took all of Arthur's strength to keep his knees from coming out from underneath of him. He couldn't show any weakness.

He opened his mouth to continue speaking considering he knew the creature couldn't really speak when a dark chuckle erupted from the daemon's chest. Every hair on Arthur's body stood up straight. That chuckle was just like Alfred's in exception to how evil-sounding it was. "But I _am_ taking on the form you fear most." The creature spoke softly. Arthur couldn't hold back his squeak of terror. The daemon shouldn't no how to speak. It couldn't the last time he had confronted the beast face-to-face. On top of that he sounded just like Alfred. His body had a conflicted moment of wanting to relax and flee at the same time.

"You lie!" Arthur yelped back, his voice higher in his own terror. "You must be mistaken! I'm not afraid of Alfred!"

"I never said you were afraid of Alfred." The daemon said and slowly began to walk. Arthur followed him and turned to keep the same distance away. He didn't have anything on him to fight the daemon. He frowned in confusion, not understanding. The daemon examined its own hand with Alfred's curious eyes. He then ran his own hands sensually down his form and gazed at Arthur with a flirtatious smile. "You're in love with him, aren't you?"

"N-no!" Arthur denied although his heart reluctantly agreed with the daemon. "Anyway, what does that matter?!" The daemon laughed loudly and happily. Arthur wanted to cry. How dare this beast use Alfred's beautiful voice for such evil purposes? "Change your shape!"

"No~pe!" He laughed and suddenly he was in front of Arthur. Arthur gasped and stiffened. The daemon's blue eyes changed to a glowing blood red as he grinned sinisterly at Arthur. He leaned his face close to Arthur's. Arthur didn't move backwards and eventually, and reluctantly, the daemon had to turn his head to instead lean into Arthur's ear. His hot breath stirred Arthur's body in a horrible way. He even _smelled_ like Alfred.

"You can't hurt me." Arthur said his voice steady and his eyes serious despite the fact he was trying to remind himself of this fact more than to inform the daemon.

"I take that as a personal challenge." Daemon Alfred said back, his voice sensually low.

"You can't even touch me. You'll burn. I'm protected." Arthur knew what happened to the daemon if it so much as even tried to touch him while he was wearing his dragon protection charm. Once before in the past the creature had tried to touch him right after his grandmother had died. The creature had nearly burned. The disgusting scent of burning skin still hung in his nostrils.

The daemon did well to remember. "Physically, perhaps, but emotionally," his voice dropped in tone that caused Arthur bury his fingers into his own pants, "**you're **_**mine**_**.**" Arthur couldn't support himself anymore and he dropped to his knees. The daemon grinned down at Arthur and crouched in front of him. His red and black eyes suddenly shifted to blue and white. He looked completely like Alfred now. Even the smile he gave to Arthur could only be described as "Alfred". He sobbed once. "Don't cry, Arthur." The imposter in front of him soothed with his falsely claimed voice. "We'll be together forever, right? So you don't need to be scared of me. After all," his eyes flashed red again and his grin turned positively ominous as he stood, "I love you." He turned then and walked a few steps away before he disappeared in thin air. Arthur curled into a ball and cried.

* * *

**A/N: Congratulations on meeting the daemon for the first time! How does it feel? I want to know your theories as to why the daemon takes Alfred's form! I may reveal it in the story but…**

**I hope you guys understand why Arthur faints a lot. He's not weak but...he's been through a lot, you know? Don't think I'm trying to make him seem girly. eue;**

**Anyway this song is "In the Depth of Darkness" sung by Miku Hatsune and MEIKO. **

**Please review and get back to me on your ideas! (Also if you have any confusions that you'd maybe want me to address in the story shoot them my way. I may actually explain them. XD)**


	18. Higurashi no Naku Koro Ni

**A/N: So because I believe I won't be explaining why the daemon looks like Alfred within the story (I believe that it wouldn't flow naturally as Arthur may realize it but he wouldn't explain it to anyone) I'll tell you guys the reasoning. A lot of you were fairly on target but you're just a **_**little**_** bit off. While Arthur is indeed scared of losing Alfred, that's not the kind of fear that the daemon tortures him with. I'll explain later on in the story again what forms the daemon takes but the creature actually turns into what your heart fears most. Similar to a boggart that way but they can be all kinds of fears. Recall earlier in the story that Arthur has a deeply rooted fear of loneliness that comes from lack of relations and yet he still denies relationships with people. **

**Arthur fears his own heart**

**And who does he love? ;D **

**And a real quick response to the reviewer "yoink": Don't worry about Allistier. I have a plan for him. ;3 He'll have his part to play soon.**

**Anyway, onto the chapter. Things are picking up from here! Full speed ahead into the depths of feels!**

* * *

**Chapter 16: Higurashi no Naku Koro Ni**

Every single nerve within Arthur's body was on high alert. His very senses were at the peak point of use. He didn't even bother to guard his aura anymore as he needed it to be aware of what was around him. To anybody who could see auras Arthur was like a walking ball of flame even larger than Alfred's naturally strong aura. He didn't have the need to reduce it any longer (in exceptions to when he had to reserve it) because the daemon was already within the town. There was no more "risk of attracting it to him". He didn't force his energy out of him but instead allowed it to take on its naturally shape and size. It allowed him more concentration on other things. People naturally noticed him more as their subconscious recognized the energy emitting from Arthur. He couldn't go anywhere without turning eyes now. His friends always knew when he was coming and where he had gone. His presence was just like that now.

It was February the thirteenth. On his form Arthur carried various potions in a knapsack made of rabbit fur just in case he ran into his "friend" again. Inside of the pack he also had herbs and candles along with various other trinkets. He was ready to take the offensive at any point in time. He needed to be cautious on this day. He didn't know when the daemon would strike again but this was his last chance to do so before Arthur gave protection to everyone who needed it and mattered. He sat with his friends during gym and waited for the day to be over. While this battle was ready to occur at anytime, daily life still went on for everyone else. A part of that daily life schedule was the fact that the Black Magic Club was to sell "love charms" (not real ones, mind you, because love should never be played around with but charms that instead promoted happiness) on Valentine's Day. Arthur and the others still needed to finish the final touches. According to rumours the charms actually worked (in one way or another) and so they were vastly popular.

It's rather ridiculous, if Arthur really thought about it. He had two vastly different things happening in his life all at once. It sent him into a bit of a tizzy. On one hand there's a monster trying to kill everyone he loved. On another, he was making pathetic little charms to sell in a high school. It was enough to make him laugh. It brought his tension and stress down considerably when he focused on the charms but it was still all ridiculous. A small ironic smile danced across his lips until he felt arms wrap around his waist. He flinched and spun around quickly with wide eyes and gasped. Alfred blinked at him, startled by his reaction, and released him quickly while holding his hands up.

"Sorry, I didn't mean to scare you." He said with an unreadable expression on his face as he scratched his hair. Arthur breathed out. Damn, he was far too stressed. This wasn't the daemon; this was Alfred. This was his boyfriend.

"No, I'm sorry." He averted his eyes. "I'm just thinking of some things."

Alfred smiled playfully at him and placed his arms on Arthur's shoulders as he grabbed his own hands to lock them in place. "Yeah? Hopefully it's about tomorrow. We're still going to the dance, right?" He tilted his head very slightly in that endearing way Arthur loved. The boy's face was covered with sweat from running around playing dodgeball with the class (Arthur was currently 'out' so he was standing on the sidelines) and his glasses were off but somehow it all made him more attractive. Perhaps it was Alfred's warm cologne that was getting to him.

Arthur forced himself back into the mold he had developed over the days he had spent with his friends in order to answer Alfred within his right mind. He groaned softly. "I hate places with a lot of people."

"Oh come on!" Alfred bemoaned. "We can't miss the V-Day dance! It's one of the first times I'm actually taking someone I'm dating with me to it! And it's your last one! What do you say?"

"Alfred…" He gave up. There was really no arguing with him. However Arthur was still conflicted less because of the crowding issue and more because of what was happening within the other half of his life. He didn't have time to be a normal teenager obliviously in love and ignorant of the cruelty of the monster occurring around him. He needed to become a warrior at the moment. He was a witch, not a teenager. He closed his eyes and let his exhaustion wash over him for a moment before he pushed it away again. It didn't seem to make it past Alfred.

"Hey, let's take a break." The boy recommended and led them over to where Lili (it was a mixed class so lowerclassmen also could be with the seniors), Feliciano, and Lovino were sitting with Vladimir. Vladimir smiled at Arthur upon his approach but his eyes scanned his friend's aura to get a read on his feelings. Arthur felt exposed and uncomfortable with it but knew that it was their silent way of communicating for now. Feliciano was cheering as he watched the dodgeball game. It had come down to Kiku and a couple others on one side facing off valiantly against Gilbert and his team. Arthur was rather excited to watch it. He sat down with Alfred on his one side and Lili next to him. He turned to the girl as Alfred kept his hand close to Arthur (Arthur had a feeling the boy wanted to keep holding him but was glad that he didn't).

Arthur turned to Lili. "Are you and Vash going to the dance?"

A quick dark look surprisingly passed over the girl's eyes. "I'm…not sure." She admitted looking worried. "Vash has become even more protective. He's trying to convince me to start sleeping in the boy's dorm so that we can stay near each other."

Arthur was rather alarmed. "Why?" He understood that Vash was a very overprotective person but he wasn't one to break the rules of the school. A girl within the boy's dorms was clearly forbidden. Personally Arthur agreed with the idea, though. While he didn't exactly see Lili as a weak person, he knew that she wasn't strong. She wouldn't be able to fight any influences that could come over her. Arthur was starting to see her like a younger sister. He wanted to protect her too.

Lili didn't respond and for a period of time the two of them watched the game. Kiku did a rather amazing flip to the side to avoid being hit that made even Arthur cheer for him. The Japanese boy and Gilbert were excellent fighters. Gilbert seemed to be leading the others on his team in a type of formation that was holding up extremely well. Arthur wondered if Gilbert planned on going into the military or something. Lili spoke up again in a startling way as the noise that was still going on. "I think Vash has started carrying a pistol." Arthur reeled back in shock and stared at her. She gave him a serious and almost challenging look –as if waiting for Arthur to rat her boyfriend out. Logic told him that he should but his gut instinct informed him that Vash would probably not use it on the school. It would be for protection. The only question was: from what was he protecting Lili from? Vash didn't have a clue what was causing these "accidents".

He glanced beside him to see if Alfred had overheard her but he was too far gone within the riveting game in front of them. Arthur turned back to Lili and gave her a stern look. "Do you know this for a fact?" The girl hesitated before shaking her head. "I don't care if he does or not because that's his own decision. I won't say anything," he had a feeling that Lili only told him because she wanted to get this secret off of her chest, "but if a story comes up involving a gun…"

"I'll be the first to say anything." Lili promised strongly and then firmly turned away from him. Arthur hoped that Lili stood true to her word.

* * *

As the sky bled into the thick darkness of night Arthur walked with Kiku, Matthew, and Ludwig on the way to Arthur's home. He wasn't quite sure why they were going his way but he didn't mind the company whatsoever. Matthew wrapped a warm scarf around his neck that had a polar bear head at the bottom of it. The piece of clothing –in Arthur's opinion- seemed to be one created for a girl but knowing the boy's love for Canadian animals (which included polar bears of course) he didn't question it once. Attached to his hip was a bag just big enough to carry the boy's 12 inch polar bear doll. He didn't seem to be as bothered by the cold as Kiku and Ludwig were. Ludwig wore a heavy jacket of his own that was a pale blue that matched his eyes. Earmuffs adorned his ears. Kiku himself was bundled quite a bit and even wore Alfred's heavy jacket that he had borrowed for the trip. Arthur suspected Matthew had whisked it away out from under Alfred's nose for the Asian to wear. Unwillingly the burn of jealousy smoldered within Arthur a bit. Kiku and Alfred had dated once. Kiku had probably worn Alfred's jacket on a couple of occasions. Arthur found himself fond of the worn jacket and thus found himself to be a bit possessive of it. He quickly dismissed the thought.

He glanced up at the sky and saw in the distance the edging of the full moon hidden behind some trees. A smile danced onto his face feeling content. He couldn't sense anything bad in the air. The world felt not only more charged during a full moon but also somewhat more protected. "It's so clear tonight." Ludwig said noticing Arthur staring at the moon. Kiku looked in the same direction as Arthur agreed.

"The moon is so big. I wonder what it could mean? Maybe it's a super moon?"

Matthew shook his head. "It's because it's winter and we're in the northern hemisphere."

"Ah."

"Are you not out at night often?" Arthur questioned his friend as he stuffed his hands into his pockets. These gloves weren't doing much to keep his fingers warm. He would need to think about buying some thicker ones.

"Not particularly." Kiku admitted. "I prefer nice evenings under the kotatsu watching anime."

"Kotatsu?"

"It is a heated low table."

"That sounds lovely." Arthur pictured it. Perhaps he would need to visit Kiku's house soon.

"Hahaha, Al has fallen asleep under it a lot whenever we visit Kiku's house in the winter!" Matthew laughed softly. "We had a lot of unplanned sleepovers."

"Feliciano seems to have that tendency as well." Ludwig agreed.

"Yes, occasionally it was frustrating." Kiku murmured. "He would ruin my plans for the night." With a sigh the problem was dismissed.

"We should have a slumber party at your house sometime." Matthew suggested. "We can all sleep in the living room and Ivan can bring his portable fireplace. We'll roast marshmallows and eat ice cream, eh?" The usually quiet boy's face lit up at the thought making him resemble Alfred quite a bit. Not for the first time Arthur wondered how it was possible Williams and Jones weren't twins.

"We will see." He looked to Arthur. "Would you come?" Arthur met Kiku's eyes and felt his own eyes soften. This boy knew of his dislike for large groups. Nonetheless the thought was a pleasurable one. He would love to be with everyone.

"It would depend on the time." He told them. He wondered if he could plan it for after he defeated the daemon. It would be a celebration for an end to a self-induced hell. His heart pounded rapidly at the thought.

"We will have a sudden death pillow fight." Kiku grinned with his eyes sparkling mischievously. Matthew and Arthur laughed. The end of the road arrived for Arthur and he turned to walk to his door with a wave to his friends. They smiled broadly at him before they left discussing other possible events of the sleepover. Arthur watched them longingly not really wanting to part just yet but knew he had other business to handle. Inside of the house he could smell steaks on the stove as Allistier cooked. Arthur's stomach growled and he approached Allistier. One of the rules he knew of charms was that one should –by the closest terms to politeness as one could get- ask permission before placing a spell or charm on a person. It would allow the cast charm or spell to be more effective but Arthur knew that he couldn't just ask such things of his friends. The only people he had asked really were Lukas and Vladimir. Tomorrow he would tell his friends of the charms as he gave the charms to them. On another note there was Allistier. Despite Arthur's hatred for the man he was still his brother and the thought of him in danger worried him. Allistier probably was aware of what he had been getting into when he had been told to bring Arthur to America. It was a risk on his life to protect the family. For that Arthur at least owed his elder brother something.

"Allistier," Arthur began. The man grunted as he pulled a piece of stir-fried green beans and peppers out to taste. His acid green eyes met Arthur's showing that he was listening, "I am making protection charms tonight. I want to ask your permission to…give you one. It will help the charm." Arthur looked down and to the side feeling awkward in telling Allistier these things. It had been a somewhat unspoken agreement between the whole family for Arthur to never discuss his magickal and spiritual life. Everyone in the family knew of it of course but Arthur had never talked about what he had learned with them. They had felt even less inclined to know after Arthur had summoned death upon people close to him. He had a feeling Allistier at least had a general idea as to what a charm was and its uses but one could never know.

Allistier gave him a blistering look Arthur could feel burning into the side of his face. The food was left temporarily abandoned as he turned to face his brother. "These are for everyone?" His accent appeared less prominent with his voice as low as it was. Arthur felt a shiver run over his form. He nodded.

"All of my close friends. And you. The ones in the path."

"Fine." Allistier turned back to the food and the conversation ended with Arthur staring with wide eyes at his brother. He hadn't expected him to actually agree so easily. It startled him.

"…I-I will give it to you tomorrow." He assured and fled from the room as he was extremely uncomfortable. The fact that Allistier was actually accepting his help was worrying. It just showed how serious the situation was. At the same time it came as a slight relief. Allistier would be…okay at least. In his room Arthur sighed at the comfortable and familiar atmosphere and dropped his bag on the floor near his closet. The window held the bags ready to absorb the rays of the moonlight. Arthur would be climbing up onto his roof tonight so as to allow them the maximum amount of absorption. They were handmade and were created from a purple velvet material. Arthur had considered long and hard what colours he had wanted the bags to be and finally settled on purple. Encrypted on both the insides and the outsides of the bags were runes (not easily visible so as to avoid questioning) meant for protection and good health. Various herbs and at least one stone was in each one. He had made each bag for a specific person and would need to pass them out correctly. They had ranging strength in them to suit the person and their natural aura. It had taken him quite a bit of time to arrange them correctly. In the end he had made a spare that he himself would carry (not that he needed it seeing as none of these charms were stronger than the spell on his protection dragon earring). All of the bags were small and not much bigger than three inches and were on a rope necklace that could be tightened or loosened at will. It had been a tiring process but it was all worth it.

He opened up the curtains to allow him to see out into the streets unhindered. There weren't very many streetlamps lit. They must have been acting up from the cold. The yellow and orange lights caused the fallen and dirty snow to appear orange. Arthur looked away and stripped of his shirt as he glanced out at the night sky. He wished the streetlamps weren't even there. At least there were quite a number of them out in front of his house. He could actually see the moonlight. He would have to see much later on how strong the light was as the night wore on. He removed his rabbit bag from his side and carefully set it on his bed so as to not mess up anything within it. He would recheck everything later within it. He then stripped of the rest of his clothes (he was on the second floor and he doubted that anybody could see anything in his dark room) before he went to go take a shower. The heat of the water ran sensually down his body and caused him to shiver once again reminding him of the water element and blushing at how well it worked with his own element. He wanted to dance in the rain suddenly. He imagined a rather certain water element and suddenly the image behind his eyelids was not of the water running sensually down Arthur's skin but instead teasing fingers. He trembled and quickly shot his eyes open and jumped away from the spray of water with his face red. Damn that Alfred. He needed to stay out of his mind. Arthur needed to be focused. This wasn't the time for his fantasies to run away with his sanity.

But now that the image was in his head it refused to leave. The water on his skin was no longer water and the cloth cleaning his body was no longer being held by his own hands. Instead tentative but determined fingers traced the contours of Arthur's slim muscles. Feather-like kisses pressed to his neck as one hand cleaned his chest and stomach. Arthur's head tilted backwards and he let out a slow but heavy breath. "Alfred…you idiot…" He wanted to kiss him but he knew better than to go after his own imagination. Alfred seemed to agree with him and maneuvered his self to kiss one, two, then three scars that had made their homes between Arthur's shoulder blades.

"Allow me to treat you." Alfred whispered with his voice hidden between the falling droplets of water spraying from the showerhead. Arthur wasn't even sure he had even heard him but he allowed himself to accept it. He knew exactly what his mind was doing as those water-fingers continued to caress him everywhere. He needed to be completely at ease and in the right state of mind if his spells were to be as effective as possible. What with all of the stress he had been under recently there would be an undertone of darkness within his creations. As such what better way to release stress than with the help of a "lover" and a little alone time? He blushed at his own thoughts even as his body agreed to what was happening with him. Alfred was one of the single joys in his life Arthur would do anything not to lose. He was Arthur's first love and as such his mind firmly placed the water-element in a setting where Arthur was vulnerable to the influences of his mind and body. His eyes closed as his body warmed past the heat of the shower and he slid down to sit on the floor. Alfred followed him with one of his sports-callused hands trailing pleasantly down Arthur's arm to engulf his hand. Arthur tilted his head with his eyes still closed as to "see" Alfred. The boy's hair was soaked causing the normally wheat-blonde hair to turn a dark and luscious golden brown. Dark blue eyes gazed at him with enough intensity to cause Arthur to bite his lip as another wave of pleasure washed over him. Droplets of water hesitated on Alfred's eyelashes and trembled minutely before dropping off and being replaced with another. His lips spread a little bit to breathe a sigh against Arthur's ear before he kissed it. It was the last thing Arthur felt before his body completely submitted to those hands and the body behind him. A single sound made its way from his throat before he collapsed panting and leaned his head against the cool tile of the wall as the water –now once again only water- rinsed Arthur of soap and the dirt on his body.

His mind blank once more Arthur stepped out of the shower and heavily attacked his hair with a towel. He didn't bother to think about what had just occurred and embraced what was to happen next. Now was the blissful time in which he could concentrate only on what spell he would be placing on these charms and not have to worry about other things. His body was relaxed and content. He hung up his towel and exited the bathroom carrying Jeanne in his hand and his clothing in the other. He dropped them off in the basket and wrapped Jeanne's chain around his hand intricately before he grabbed the charm bags off of the window sill. He placed them on the floor and began gathering his supplies to set up a circle. He gazed over into the corner of the room as he did and eyed the all-day candles he had bought specifically for when it was time to confront the daemon. He would set them in his trap later on tonight after he had set the charm bags on the roof and secured them there. He finished casting his circle and sat within its warmth as he pictured what his spell would be for each charm. Each spell had to be specific for the person considering each bag was specific for the person. As he picked up a bag he pictured his friend in his head and how he felt about them. He imagined what their weaknesses were and what their strengths were. He imagined what this bag would do to help them survive and began chanting his spell. He did this accordingly with each bag. He had made them stronger or weaker than each other not only because of the harmony between the charm and the person but also so that they would all harmonize together.

When he had finished with each bag he dismissed the circle and felt the exhaustion of energy hollow within his body. He sighed and lay on the floor as he fingered for his stones and pulled out ones that would help his energy replenish faster. It was a strange feeling to have one's energy drained as it was a physical feeling but it wasn't physical on the skin. He could feel the lack of energy emitting somewhere within his heart and the area between his muscles and bones. It was as if blood had been drained of him only without the light-headedness that came along with it. Instead it only made his eyes feel heavier even if he was just as alert as he had been before using his energy. He had plenty of time and so he closed his eyes and allowed himself to rest. He didn't fall into a deep slumber (that would've been horrible for his concentration what with the nightmares and such) but his little nap had him waking up late into the night with a jolt. He glanced at the clock and saw it bordering 2:43 in the morning. Arthur began to wonder with some amusement if his body was now programmed to wake up near the witching hour because of all of the times he had been awoken around this time from his nightmares. He stretched with a small groan and stood before moving to gather his clothing. He needed to bundle up for his journey in the night.

* * *

Warmth danced its way across Arthur's cold face as he entered the cafeteria about midway through lunch. He had been busy the beginning of lunch selling charms and Lukas had just come now to take over for him. Their eyes met and Arthur had nodded to him as he handed over the boy's respective charm. Lukas grabbed it with his hand and on it Arthur saw strange drawings covering the hand. He looked at it fascinated and assumed from the pressure coming from it that the marks themselves were some type of spell. He recognized a couple of runes mixed in with the markings that glowed somewhat with Lukas's energy. He would need to ask Lukas about it later.

Arthur approached his usual lunch table seeing everyone there. The people around him all had some form of gifts in their hands. The amount of pink and red in the room was almost nauseating. The school had required that gifts only be exchanged at lunch so as not to disrupt class hence all of the excitement. Alfred had next to him a bag of candy as Arthur sat down and pulled out his lunch box. The topic of conversation seemed to be only Valentine's Day and the dance that would be later on tonight. Everyone was at the table in exception to two. Arthur raised an eyebrow. "Where are Gilbert and Matthew?" He asked Vash near him.

Vash turned away from his girlfriend who was playing cheerfully with a pocket-sized pink bunny stuffed animal with a white heart spot over its one eye to face Arthur. "I heard that they skipped school to go on an all-day date." Arthur clicked his tongue angrily. Dammit, he needed to give those two their charms. Fear struck him as he wondered if something was going to happen to them and hoped that nothing would. He would need to find them as soon as he was able. Perhaps he would skip fourth block. If not he could just wait until the Valentine's Day dance knowing that they would be there. He wasn't sure if he could wait that long though.

"Arthur!" Arthur stiffened suddenly at Alfred's loud voice and suddenly he was pulled into a tight hug. He gasped for air as a kiss was placed on his cheek and then he was released. He glared witheringly at the culprit. "Happy Valentine's day!" Alfred shoved a bouquet of flowers and a small white teddy bear into Arthur's arms, startling the Briton. The flowers were red roses (clichéd bastard) with clear pink wrapping that was obnoxiously loud. The teddy bear was rather adorable with its "be my valentine" written on its chest and the pink heart pattern that littered its soft fur.

Done with his (rather cheerful) inspection Arthur quickly regained himself and said, "You already said that to me."

"I know but now I can say it while giving you your gifts!" Alfred's face was pink in his own happiness. Arthur smiled softly at him and buried his face into his flowers to hide the blush on his own face.

"…Thank you." He murmured somewhat embarrassed before he put his gifts onto the table and dug into his pockets. "I have gifts for everyone." He announced as Alfred gazed at him curiously. He picked out Alfred's charm necklace first and handed to him. "It's a happiness charm." He lied. "I know that things have been…harsh…as of late so I want everyone to wear these." He passed them out respectively to each friend. "Please wear them."

Elizaveta brought the pouch to her nose and breathed in deeply. "It's smells nice, Arthur! Thank you!" She placed it over her head and flipped her hair out of the loop before sniffing it again. The others followed suit with ranging confusion on their face. Alfred laughed calling out the validity of "magic" and such which caused Arthur scowl at him. Vladimir took Arthur's hand in his own as he took the charm and gazed into his eyes as he leaned in close. Arthur felt paralyzed by those burgundy eyes that glittered with a hint of mischief.

"Thank you." He whispered sincerely near Arthur's lips. Arthur knew the boy was pulling something and so didn't even bother to pull back. However Alfred shut up and yanked Arthur to him again as the Briton cried out. Alfred glared at Vladimir from over Arthur's shoulder. Vladimir grinned and put on his own charm.

"Artie," Alfred said to distract the English boy from what had just happened and turned Arthur's head to face him, "don't I get a kiss for the presents?"

Arthur blushed. "No!"

"Oh come on! Don't be stingy on Valentine's Day! Here look," he looked up at his friends and waved at them, "can you guys look away so Mr. Shy Guy over here won't be so embarrassed?" This only angered Arthur more as a couple of his friends giggled and looked away. Alfred looked expectantly at him. Arthur grabbed Alfred's head and yanked him to smash their lips together. Alfred made a noise in the back of his throat but still kissed back. Arthur bit Alfred's lower lip. Alfred grunted again but opened his mouth to deepen the kiss and relinquished control as Arthur dominated his mouth. He was rough in his movements showing Alfred he was upset but eventually his pace slowed as he became caught up in what was happening and forgot where they were. He actually was rather thankful for the gifts and soon found himself melting into Alfred's chest as he straddled him in the seat. A whack on the head and a few grumbles from around him made the two separate. Allistier stood over them glaring. Arthur matched the glare.

"Contain yerself, damn!" The elder brother and teacher scolded and smacked both boys' arms so they had to release each other. Alfred glared at Allistier too now. Everyone in Allistier's classes either became used to him and treated him almost like he was just an obnoxious friend or they were terrified of him. Alfred was one of the former.

"Come on, man! I finally get him to kiss me and you break it up? Cock-block!"

"Shut the 'ell up, ya lit'le shit!" Allistier barked at him but he looked highly amused. Arthur refused to acknowledge his existence any longer as he finished off what food he had left and stood. Alfred and Allistier were still bickering with each other.

"I'm leaving." He announced catching his friends' attentions.

"What? Why?" Feliciano asked.

"I need to make sure Vladimir remembers his job." He looked sharply at Vladimir who coughed around his tomato juice and looked at him with wide and innocent eyes. Arthur shook his head and pointed to the door as he grabbed his gifts with his other hand. "Lukas and I had our turns. Go." Vladimir groaned and stood as the rest laughed at him. Kiku stood as well and followed after Arthur.

After the Briton raised an eyebrow at him in question Kiku explained, "I wanted to join you." Arthur accepted it without any more questioning. Lukas looked faintly relieved to be relieved of his boring position. Arthur had been the one initially stuck with the most buyers (he suspected the club had done that on purpose) so Lukas had had a slow trickle of people. Arthur doubted they even needed Vladimir to take over but they had to work all of lunch. Then Vladimir sat down in Lukas's seat while Arthur snagged the second one. Lukas and Kiku were left standing and leaning against the wall. Arthur glanced over at the money box and the number of charms left and was quite pleased with the results.

"These charms," Kiku started as he looked curiously at one of the love charms, "are they effective?"

"We made them ourselves." Vladimir boasted with a smile. "Do you have someone you want to influence?"

Kiku blushed slightly and shook his head as he replaced the charm. "Ah, no. I was just curious." He looked at Vladimir and Lukas for a moment. "Do you…also see spirits like Arthur does? This club is a spiritual club?"

Lukas raised an eyebrow and looked at Arthur. Arthur looked away. "No, it's not like that Kiku." He explained. "But yes, we can see…spirits of sorts." Kiku must have noticed the discomfort everyone in the club was experiencing because he nodded without another question. Vladimir instead suggested the events of tonight as a distraction. Arthur half-listened to them as he gazed out into the cafeteria through the glass doors and idly sniffed his flowers. His body felt unnerved and he wondered if it was lingering effects of the conversation from earlier and decided to ignore it. Movement in front of the doors caught his eyes and he spotted Alfred looking at him on the other side of the door. He was smiling strangely but happily and waved at Arthur. Arthur waved back at him when he paused. Something about Alfred was off. He frowned and tried to figure it out as Alfred turned to look out over the crowd of students in the cafeteria while leaning against the door. Arthur stared at his back as his friends slowed their conversation to a stop and spotted Arthur staring.

"You stare too much-" Vladimir joked but he was cut off by Lukas,

"No." He said and Arthur knew what he was feeling was certainly off. Lukas felt it too. After a moment Vladimir also began searching for what was wrong. The atmosphere was tense for an unknown reason. Even Kiku was looking around nervously as he unconsciously sensed something wrong. Arthur noticed Alfred was staring at one thing in particular and followed his line of sight. His heart nearly stopped. Alfred was watching Alfred laughing with Feliciano and eating some chocolate. There were two Alfreds. Arthur sprang from his seat and the first Alfred met his terrified eyes with a grin. His eyes flashed red before he ran off.

"It's the daemon!" Arthur said sharply and didn't even hesitate as he dashed into the cafeteria after the daemon.

"Arthur!" Kiku cried and Arthur glanced back once to see Kiku run after him and noticed Lukas and Vladimir had split. Their plan was in action now with only one issue. Arthur needed to both lead the daemon into his trap as well as lose Kiku. He couldn't get his best friend involved. He turned back and saw the daemon Alfred dashing through the crowd. Arthur threw his flowers and bear at him to catch his attention. The daemon paused and looked at him with a frown. Arthur smirked and pulled back the hair around his ear to expose that his dragon charm was missing. The daemon's eyes widened and changed to completely to red and black.

"**Wrong move, Artie!"** It cried and Arthur ran for dear life. This was a big risk for him. Even though in his rabbit bag he carried the ear cuff and the charm bag just as backup he knew that if that daemon touched him now he would die. It was just like his worst nightmares when he was being chased. The thought that he could actually die right now chilled him to his bones and forced his legs to move faster. He would not be able to put on his protection in time right now. Tears unwillingly reached his eyes as the buildings rushed past him and memories of his first encounter with the daemon were brought up. No, he just needed to reach the trap where the daemon would not be able to escape from. Lukas and Vladimir should be arriving there sometime soon and should be lighting the candles. They would save the last one for when Arthur entered the circle with the daemon. He wanted to look back but he knew looking back would be the death of him. He couldn't breathe but still he pushed his body on. He was nearing the park and he made a sharp turn. As he watched creatures and beings of the forest ran away from him. He saw a dryad disappear and a bird screech before it took flight. Arthur saw the playground approaching and noticed the lit candles. He was almost there. Now he needed to reach the safety and bring out his protection again.

He dug into his pocket and pulled out his key and ran for the Juice Bar. He felt bad that he had stolen Ivan's key to the store but it was a necessity. He needed to work quickly and he slammed into the door before he began fumbling with the lock. "LIGHT THE CANDLE!" He screamed into the air with as much strength as he could right as he burst into the Juice Bar and slammed the door shut. He took ragged breaths and didn't hesitate to pull his ear cuff out and hurriedly put it back on before he closed his eyes. The Juice Bar was safe. He could take a breath here but he couldn't stay long. He needed to find Lukas and Vladimir right away. The Juice Bar was a temporary haven. His body shook violently from the strain of the run as well as from the fear he had been experiencing. He looked at his hands and couldn't keep them still even when he clenched them. He sobbed once. He didn't want to have to fight this daemon. He was scared, so so scared. "Grandmother!" He wailed into his arms wishing so badly right now that he could be with her but reality was cruel.

"_**Get a hold of yourself, Arthur!"**_ Jeanne called to him and he opened his eyes to see her glaring at him seriously. _**"The war begins now! Get up and let's go! Now!"**_ Arthur stared at her before he climbed to his feet unsteadily. She was right. He didn't have time to whimpering. He wasn't a child anymore and the time to fight back was now. His determination at least somewhat steeled he opened the door and came face-to-face with a panting Alfred. He screeched and jumped back before throwing some sea salt at him that he had left prepared by the door.

"Gah! What the fuck?!" Alfred yelped and wiped his face while sticking his tongue out. "Is this _salt_?" he cried. Arthur stared at him baffled. That should've hurt the daemon but Alfred wasn't flinching. Unless this wasn't…

"A-_ALFRED?"_ Arthur yelled horrified. "WHAT ARE YOU DOING HERE?!" He shrieked and grabbed his hand to yank him inside. It was only then that he noticed all of his other friends behind him and all of them were panting. Arthur's eyes stayed wide as they entered the shop.

"W-We saw you run from the cafeteria!" Feliciano said. "We thought something had happened!"

"You…"

"How did you get into here?" Ivan asked glaring at him slightly.

"Why'd you throw salt at me?" Alfred questioned.

"Arthur, are you alright?" Both Kiku and Lili asked at the same time. Kiku looked scared for him. Arthur recalled how Kiku had heard him yell about the daemon. Damn in the midst of his fear Arthur had forgotten to shake the boy. And now all of his friends were here.

"Y-You all can't be here!" Arthur yelled again. "You need to leave! Go back to the school quick before-" A crash shook the whole building as a tree collapsed in front of the shop and nearly crushed anybody near the door. They all screamed and jumped backwards and into the bar.

"What the hell is going on?!" Ludwig yelled. Arthur was speechless.

"Arthur!" Arthur turned to see Vladimir and Lukas run in from the back. "Are you alright-" They both froze and looked at everyone with wide eyes. "What are they doing here?"

Arthur gripped the hand that he still hadn't released tightly as he gazed sorrowfully at the rest of his club. "Is the circle set up?" He asked tonelessly. Lukas nodded. "Then I'm afraid they've just become part of a war."

* * *

**A/N: And so begins the main part of the story. The war between Arthur and the daemon is starting and now all of Arthur's friends are trapped with them. **

**Note: Before you ask I'll explain more stuff about what is happening (i.e. why the Juice Bar is "safe" and why the tree fell and shit) in the next chapter and later. You'll learn as Arthur explains it to the others so I don't have to repeat myself.**

**Things Arthur just doesn't seem to be allowed to have without something happening: Dates and teddy bears (hinthint)**

**(For those who were wondering about the "multiple endings" thing, this is the part where Arthur's decisions affect everything)**

**This song is "Higurashi no Naku Koro Ni" which you'll recognize from the show the song is named after.**

**Please review! Leave questions if you have any! Comment on what Arthur's doing and thinking! Talk to me! XD**


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